Christ Church, Warminster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church
Christ Church Location in Wiltshire
51°12′00″N 2°11′11″W / 51.1999°N 2.1863°W / 51.1999; -2.1863
Location	Deverill Road, Warminster
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	John Leachman
Style	Early English
Years built	1830–31
Administration
Parish	Christ Church
Deanery	Heytesbury
Archdeaconry	Sarum
Diocese	Salisbury
Province	Canterbury

Christ Church is a church in Warminster, England. It's part of the Church of England, which is a Christian church. It serves the people living in the southern part of Warminster.

History of Christ Church

Building the Church

Christ Church was built between 1830 and 1831. A man named John Leachman designed it. The idea for the church came from William Dalby, who was the vicar (a type of priest) at the main church in Warminster, St Denys'.

At first, Christ Church was a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help people in a certain area attend services more easily, without having to travel far to the main parish church. This church was built for the area known as Warminster Common.

The church was partly paid for by the Church Building Commission. This group helped fund new churches across England. Christ Church was built with yellow bricks and special stone details. It had a large main area (called a nave) and a balcony (gallery) that could hold many people, up to 882 in total. The church also has a tall tower at the west end with heavy, pointed decorations called pinnacles.

Changes Over Time

In 1871, the church was made bigger. A new section called a chancel (the area around the altar) and a vestry (a room for clergy to prepare) were added. These new parts were designed by T.H. Wyatt.

Christ Church before the 1871 additions and 1881 changes

Later, in 1881, the ceiling of the main part of the church (the nave) became unstable. So, it was replaced with wooden beams and pillars. These changes also meant the balcony was removed.

In 1952, Christ Church was given a special status as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

Modernizing the Church

In the late 1960s, there was an effort to make the church services more modern. A new altar was built in the main part of the church (the nave). The vicar wanted to bring the worship closer to the people.

However, this change caused some disagreement. Many people felt that they had not been asked for their opinion before the change happened. A person from the church community even took the matter to a special church court called a consistory court. The court decided that the church leaders had not talked enough with the community about the change. Even though the altar stayed, this event caused some people to leave and worship at other churches.

In 2004, Christ Church began a big project to update its space. The worship area was completely changed. A raised platform was added, and the old nave altar and pews (church benches) were removed. A new entrance lobby was also built.

The second part of this project finished in 2014. It involved using the space above the lobby to create new meeting rooms. These changes made the church more useful for different activities.

Parish Area

When Christ Church was first built, it was a "chapel of ease" within the larger parish of St Denys. This meant it was a smaller church serving a specific part of the main parish.

In 1838, Christ Church was given its own district, which included Warminster Common, Boreham, and part of the town. Then, in 1863, it officially became its own parish. At that time, Boreham became part of the Warminster parish again.

The boundaries of the parish have changed a few times over the years. There were changes in 1956, involving the parishes of Warminster, Christ Church, Bishopstrow, and Boyton. More changes happened in 1959, involving Norton Bavant and Upton Scudamore. Today, the Christ Church parish covers a section of southern Warminster and extends southwest into part of the Longleat estate.

List of Vicars

Here is a list of the vicars who have served at Christ Church: