Christ Church, Long Load facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Redundant |
| Year consecrated | 1856 |
| Location | |
| Location | Long Load, Somerset, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Edmund Giles |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Early English style |
Christ Church is a building in Long Load, Somerset, England. It used to be a Church of England church. A famous architect named Charles Edmund Giles designed it. The church was built between 1854 and 1856. It stands where an older chapel once was. Christ Church closed its doors as a church in 2011. Now, it is a private home. It is also a special building called a Grade II listed building. This means it's important and protected.
Contents
The Story of Christ Church
From Old Chapel to New Church
People know that a small chapel stood in Long Load as early as 1418. By 1791, this old building was falling apart. So, it was pulled down. A new, smaller chapel was built in 1796. But by the mid-1800s, this 1796 chapel was also in bad shape.
People decided to build a brand new church. They also wanted a schoolroom and a home for the vicar (parsonage). They needed to raise about £2,500 for all these projects. By April 1855, they had collected around £1,700.
Building the New Church
The schoolroom was built first. It cost £350. It was used as a place of worship until the new church was ready. C. E. Giles from Taunton drew the plans for the new church. It was designed to hold 279 people.
Building the church began in 1854. The church was officially opened on 11 September 1856. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Robert Eden, led the special ceremony. The church cost about £1,300 to build. In 1867, Long Load became its own church area.
Christ Church Today
Christ Church stopped being a place of worship in 2011. It was then sold. In 2014, permission was given to turn the building into a three-bedroom house. Long Load and Long Sutton joined to form a new church area in 2017.
What Christ Church Looks Like
Christ Church is built from a type of stone called Blue Lias. It also has special decorative parts made from Hamstone. The Blue Lias stone was given by the Earl of Burlington. It came from his quarries in Long Sutton.
The church has a long main hall called a nave. It also has a chancel, which is the part near the altar. There is a small porch on the south side. On the north-east side, there is a small room called a vestry. The church also has a small spire with a bell. An old wooden stand for sermons, called a Jacobean pulpit, was kept from the older chapel.
