Christ Church, Welshpool facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Welshpool |
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Christ Church, Welshpool
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| Location | Welshpool, Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Dedication | Christ |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 25 April 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Penson |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1839 |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Construction cost | £6,000 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Welshpool granite |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Welshpool St Mary |
| Archdeaconry | Montgomery |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Province | Wales |
Christ Church, Welshpool is a historic building in Welshpool, Powys, Wales. It was built a long time ago, between 1839 and 1844. A rich person called the Earl of Powis asked for it to be built. He wanted to celebrate his son, Edward James, becoming an adult.
The church was designed by a famous architect named Thomas Penson. It has a special look called Romanesque Revival architecture. This style uses round arches and strong, heavy shapes, like buildings from ancient Rome. The church was built using a type of volcanic rock found near Welshpool. It also has unique decorations made from terracotta.
Christ Church was once a smaller church connected to Welshpool's main St Mary's Church. It cost about £6,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! People helped pay for it, along with the Earl. Over time, fewer people went to the church. So, in 1998, it closed down. In 2002, it was bought by Karl Meredith and Natalie Bass. They are now working to fix it up, using part of it as a home and part for community events.
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Architecture of Christ Church
This church is a large building designed in an Anglo-Norman style. It was built by Thomas Penson between 1839 and 1844. It was finished just before another church he designed in Shropshire.
The church has a main hall called a nave, with side sections called aisles. It also has a rounded end part called an apse and a small entrance area called a porch. There is a tower on the northwest side.
The outside of the church has big, rough details. You can see huge cone-shaped turrets and very strong supports called buttresses. The inside looks grand, with columns that have special carved tops. There's also a row of windows high up, called a clerestory, and a flat ceiling.
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Terracotta Decorations
One of the most interesting things about Christ Church is its use of terracotta. Terracotta is a type of baked clay, often reddish-brown, used for building and decoration. Here, yellow terracotta bricks were shaped and used for the arches in the main hall and for the curved ceiling in the apse.
It's thought that Thomas Penson used experimental terracotta from brickyards near Oswestry. He also used terracotta in other churches he designed, like Llanymynech church and St David's Church in Newtown.
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Inside the Church
The Font
The font, which is a large basin used for baptisms, is beautifully made from terracotta. It looks a lot like items made from a special artificial stone called Coade stone. There's a similar font in Leighton Church, not far from Welshpool.
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Woodwork
The wooden pews (church benches) have impressive carvings. Especially notable are the ends of the Earl of Powis’ family pews. These have armorial finials, which are decorative tops showing the family's coat of arms. These carvings are even more detailed than similar ones in Leighton church.
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The Organ
The church has an important organ built by Gray in 1817. Organs are large musical instruments with many pipes, often found in churches.
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Floor Tiles
The floor of the church has beautiful decorative encaustic tiles. These are special tiles with patterns that are part of the tile itself, not just painted on top. Some of these tiles were made by a famous company called Mintons. However, the source of the tiles showing the Royal Coat of Arms, the Earls of Powis, and the Bishops of St Asaph is still a mystery.
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Stained Glass Windows
The church has several lovely stained glass windows. Three windows in the apse were likely made by David Evans in 1844. There are also three other windows made by A O Hemming in 1892. Stained glass windows are made from many pieces of colored glass, creating pictures or patterns.
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Churchyard
The churchyard is the burial ground around the church. Many people are buried here, including a judge named William Henry Watson. Members of the Earls of Powis family are also buried here.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission looks after the graves of 12 British service members. These include soldiers and airmen from both World War I and World War II. Among them are two brothers, Viscounts Clive, who were sons of the 4th Earl of Powis.
