Christ Church, Southgate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Southgate |
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Christ Church, Southgate, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, as seen from The Walker Ground
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| 51°37′29″N 0°07′41″W / 51.62465°N 0.12797°W | |
| Location | Waterfall Road, Southgate, Middlesex, N14 7EG |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Consecrated | July 17, 1862 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Architect(s) | Sir George Gilbert Scott |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Christ Church Southgate |
| Deanery | Enfield |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Hampstead |
| Episcopal area | Edmonton Episcopal Area |
| Diocese | Diocese of London |
Christ Church, Southgate is a Church of England church located in Southgate, London. It is known as a "liberal catholic" church. The building is very important, listed as Grade II* listed by Historic England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest. In 2014, the church became an Inclusive Church, welcoming everyone. The church has a choir that records music and goes on tours. They also sing at Sunday services.
Contents
History of Christ Church
Why was Christ Church built?
In 1615, a man named Sir John Weld owned a large estate called Arnos Grove. He built a small chapel, called the Weld Chapel, for local people to worship in. Over time, the chapel became too small and old.
In the 1800s, the minister of the Weld Chapel, Rev. James Baird, saw that a new, bigger church was needed. The Walker family, who owned the Arnos Grove estate at that time, generously gave land for the new church.
Building the New Church
The famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott designed Christ Church. His grandson, Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott, also designed parts of the church later. The church was officially opened and blessed by Bishop John Jackson on 17 July 1862. The old Weld Chapel was taken down in 1863. You can still see where it stood in the churchyard today.
The Church Choir
Christ Church Southgate has a long and strong tradition of music. The choir has been active since the very first service in the church. Back then, singers from St Paul's Cathedral even joined them!
Originally, the choir was made up of men and boys. Now, it is a mixed choir with both adults and younger members. A famous organist and conductor, Martin Neary, used to be part of this choir. The choir sings at the main Sunday service at 10:00 am and at Choral Evensong at 6:30 pm. They also perform concerts and travel to cathedrals in the UK and Europe.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
Pre-Raphaelite Art in Glass
Christ Church has the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows in London. These beautiful windows were made by Morris, Marshall Faulkner & Company, which later became Morris & Co. They were created between 1861 and 1913.
Many famous artists designed these windows, including Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown, Philip Webb, John Henry Dearle, and William Morris himself.
Special Windows to Remember People
Other lovely windows were made by Clayton & Bell. One special window in the nave, called the Faith & Hope window, was designed by Edward Burne-Jones. It was put in place to remember Letitia Catherine Hayes. She was the sister of a British statesman named John Laird Mair Lawrence, who lived nearby.
The large east window, made by Clayton & Bell in 1862, remembers Vincent Figgins Jnr. He continued his father's work as a type-founder, someone who made the metal letters used for printing.
The Reredos: A Mosaic Masterpiece
The reredos is a decorative screen or panel behind the altar in a church. The one in Christ Church was put in place in 1868. It is a stunning mosaic created by Antonio Salviati, an artist from Venice. The mosaic shows a scene of the Last Supper. The design for this mosaic is almost the same as the one Salviati made for Westminster Abbey a year earlier.
The Walker Family and Their Legacy
The Walker family was very important in the history of Southgate. Their burial vault, where family members are laid to rest, is in the churchyard near the west door. This vault holds the remains of all seven famous Walker brothers, who were well-known cricketers.
The churchyard also contains the vault of the Taylor family. The Taylor and Walker families together started the Taylor Walker Brewing Company. The Lady Chapel inside the church was decorated between 1905 and 1906 with wall paintings by Percy Bacon Brothers. These paintings were made to remember Issac and Sophia Walker of Arnos Grove and their children.
War Memorials
Inside the church, there is a memorial for the First World War. It was designed by Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott, the grandson of the church's architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. This memorial lists 146 men from the local area who died in the war. Among them are the two sons of a famous detective, Frederick Porter Wensley. A booklet from the church provides more information about these men. The memorial was put in place in 1921.
There is also a French flag hanging in the church. It was given to Group Captain Alfred Kitchiner 'Ken' Gatward and the local branch of the Royal British Legion in 1949. This was to remember a special mission during World War II called Operation Squabble.
Images for kids
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The Weld Chapel (right) in 1862 during the construction of Christ Church
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Footprint of the Weld Chapel (1615-1861) now a Garden of Remembrance (built 1967)
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Lady Chapel, Christ Church Southgate (reordered 1905) with wall paintings by Percy Bacon Brothers and windows by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company
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The Choir of Christ Church Southgate in 1929
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St Matthew by William Morris (reputedly a self portrait)
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Hope and Faith window by Edward Burne Jones
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The Walker Family Vault
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