Christ Church, Totland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Totland |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | Christ Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Totland |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Province | Canterbury |
Christ Church, Totland is a beautiful parish church located in Totland, a lovely area on the Isle of Wight. It is part of the Church of England, which is the main Christian church in England.
History of Christ Church
This church has an interesting past that goes back to the late 1800s. It was built in 1875 by architects named Habershon and Pite. They designed the church to be a welcoming place for the community.
Building the Church
Before the current stone church was built, there was a temporary wooden church. This first church was put up in 1869. It stood across the road from where Christ Church is today.
After the new church was finished, the old wooden building found new uses. It was moved to Totland beach. There, it became a village reading room and library. Later, it was even used as an extra part of the Totland Bay hotel!
The main Christ Church building was completed and officially opened in 1875. A bit later, in 1905, an extension was added to make the church even bigger.
The Special Lychgate
In 1906, a special gate called a lychgate was built at the entrance to the churchyard. Lychgates are traditional covered gateways found at the entrance to many churchyards.
This lychgate is a bit unusual because it doesn't line up perfectly with the church. This happened because it was built assuming the church would get another extension. That extension was never built, so the lychgate stayed a little off-center.
The wood used for the lychgate is very famous! People say it came from H.M.S. Thunderer. This was a real warship that fought in the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. That battle was a huge naval victory for Britain.
Church Organ
Inside Christ Church, there is a pipe organ that was built in 1911. It was made by a company called Norman and Beard, who were well-known organ builders. Organs like this make music using air blown through many pipes.
You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register. This register keeps records of many organs across the country.
