Christ Church, Port Sunlight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Port Sunlight |
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Christ Church, Port Sunlight, from the southwest
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| Location | Church Drive , Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | United Reformed Church |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | William Lever |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 December 1965 |
| Architect(s) | William and Segar Owen |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1902 |
| Completed | 1904 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, stone-slate roof |
Christ Church is a beautiful church located in Church Drive, Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is a busy United Reformed Church. This church is also recognized as a very important historical building in England. It is officially called a Grade II* listed building.
Contents
The Story of Christ Church
Port Sunlight is a special village. It was built for the people who worked at the Lever Brothers soap factory. This factory was started by a man named William Lever.
Christ Church was built between 1902 and 1904. It was designed by architects William and Segar Owen. William Lever himself paid for the church. It first opened its doors on June 8, 1904.
The church was originally for all Christian groups. It had a Wesleyan minister at first. Later, it became a Congregational church, which was the type of church William Lever belonged to. Today, it is part of the United Reformed Church.
In 1914, a special vault for the Lever family was added. This was a memorial to Lady Lever, William Lever's wife. In 2000, as a Millennium project, two new rooms were built inside the church. These rooms are used for children and young people.
About the Church Building
Outside the Church
The church is built from red sandstone that came from Helsby in Cheshire. Its roof is made of stone-slates. The building is designed in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like old medieval churches.
The church has a long main area called a nave. It also has side sections called aisles. There is a porch at the southwest side. The church has two north transepts and one south transept. These are parts that stick out from the main building. There is also a chancel at the east end and a tower on the southeast side. At the west end, you can see the Lady Lever Memorial.
The windows along the sides have three sections. They have a special pattern called Perpendicular-style tracery. The large window at the west end has nine sections. The tower has openings for bells with special covers called louvred bell openings. It also has a decorative top edge and a patterned, embattled parapet.
The Lady Lever Memorial is like a covered walkway or porch. It has three sections and is very decorated. It features buttresses, pinnacles, and special spaces for statues called niches.
Inside the Church
This large church can seat 800 people. The main arches inside are simple. They rest on strong supports called piers without decorative tops. The church's furniture was made by Hatch and Sons. The wood carvings were done by C. J. Allen, and the stone carvings by J. J. Millson.
The floor of the church is made of black and white Italian marble. The pews, screens, and the decorative screen behind the altar (called a reredos) are made of English oak. The roof timbers are made of Canadian pitch pine.
Most of the beautiful stained glass windows were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. This includes the large windows at the east and west ends, and the windows in the south transept. There are also two aisle windows from 1950 by Ervin Bossányi.
The church has a large pipe organ with four keyboards. It was built in 1904 by Henry Willis II. The same company restored it in 2006–07. Many people believe it is the largest four-keyboard Willis II organ still in its original condition and used every day.
There is a set of eight bells in the tower. All of them were made in 1904 by Mears and Stainbank.
In the Lady Lever Memorial, you can find the tomb of Lady Lever, who passed away in 1913. William Lever, who died in 1925, is also buried there. On the tomb, there are bronze statues of them lying down. These statues were made by Sir W. Goscombe John.
Churchyard
The churchyard is the area around the church. Besides the Lever family vault, it also contains the graves of soldiers. These include six British Army soldiers from World War I and two soldiers and an airman from World War II. These graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
- Listed buildings in Port Sunlight
