Christ Church, Macclesfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Macclesfield |
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Church from the southwest, 2014
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| OS grid reference | SJ 914 735 |
| Location | Great King Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 14 April 1949 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Georgian |
| Completed | 1777 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,800 |
| Materials | Brick with stone dressings Slate roof |
Christ Church is an old Anglican church located in Great King Street, Macclesfield, England. It's considered a very important historical building, listed as Grade II*. This means it's protected because of its special history and architecture. The church is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust and is open for visitors at certain times. Even though it stopped being a regular church in 1981, it is still used for special services sometimes.
Contents
History of Christ Church
In the 1700s, Macclesfield was growing fast. The main church, St Michael's, wasn't big enough for everyone. A local industrialist named Charles Roe wanted to build a new church. He invited a priest named David Simpson to Macclesfield. Simpson was known for his strong evangelical beliefs.
Charles Roe decided to build Christ Church especially for David Simpson. The main part of the church was built very quickly in 1775. It opened on Christmas Day that same year! The tall tower was added the next year. It stands at 107 feet (33 meters) high. This height was chosen to compete with the tower of St Michael's Church.
David Simpson was a close friend of John Wesley, who started Methodism. It was quite unusual for an Anglican church, but Simpson invited Wesley to preach at Christ Church many times. The church was officially given to the Churches Conservation Trust in 1985.
Today, a local group called The Roe-naissance Project is working with the Trust. They are trying to find new ways to use the building that will help the community.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
Christ Church is built from brick with stone details. It's designed in the Georgian style, which was popular in the 1700s. The church has a tower at the front (west end), a main hall called a nave, and a smaller area at the back called a chancel.
The tower has doors on the west and north sides. Above the west door, there's a window with a curved top. Higher up, you can see clock faces. The very top of the tower has a decorative wall called a parapet.
The outside walls of the nave and chancel look like they have two levels. There are decorative stone bands called cornices between these levels and at the top. At the east end, there's a large Palladian window. This window has round windows and doors on each side. The church used to have tall, pointed decorations called pinnacles on its roof and tower, but they are no longer there.
Inside the Church
Inside, there's a continuous balcony, or gallery, that goes around the north, west, and south sides. This gallery is supported by columns made of cast iron. This was a very early use of cast iron in a church building! The organ is located in the west gallery. The ceiling is curved and has simple plaster panels.
The church still has its original box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas. There's also a small marble baptismal font for baptisms. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made by an artist named William Wailes. Another window on the south side has glass made by Morris & Co..
On the south wall, you can see a special monument to Charles Roe, who built the church. It's made of black and white marble and shows a bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) of Roe. It also shows images of the church, his silk mill, and his copper works. There's also a monument to David Simpson, the first vicar.
The church has a large organ with three keyboards, built in 1875 by Gray & Davison. Christ Church also has a ring of ten bells. These bells were first made in 1777. They are still used regularly for practice sessions on Monday evenings.
Some parts of the church, like the tall pulpit and choir stalls, have been taken down and stored. You can also find beautiful carvings inside the church from the "Macclesfield School of Carving." One important carving is a detailed altar screen called a reredos.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England
- Listed buildings in Macclesfield
