Christ Church, Wharton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Wharton
53°11′43″N 2°30′22″W / 53.195400°N 2.506000°W / 53.195400; -2.506000
Location	Winsford, Cheshire,
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Conservative Evangelical
History
Status	Active
Consecrated	1843 (chapel of ease) 1849 and 1913 (church)
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	Rebuilt 1849, with later additions
Construction cost	£1,574 10s 7d (1849 building)
Specifications
Capacity	350 (1849 seating capacity)
Materials	Brick with red sandstone facing Slate roof
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Chester
Province	Province of York

Christ Church, Wharton is a church located in Winsford, Cheshire, England. It is an active Church of England parish church. This means it serves the local community for worship and other activities.

History of Christ Church

The story of Christ Church, Wharton, began around 1835. A small, simple church building, called a "chapel of ease," was built. It was meant to be a place for people to worship who lived far from the main parish church. This first chapel was built to offer an Anglican church option in an area where other Christian groups were growing.

The first chapel was located near Wharton Bridges. Its exact spot is not known today. In 1843, Wharton became its own church area, or "parish." The first chapel was then replaced by a new one. This new chapel was built on Crook Lane and was called Christ's Church. It was officially opened and made sacred, or "consecrated," on June 26, 1843.

Growing Bigger

The population of Wharton grew a lot in the 1840s. Because of this, the chapel quickly became too small. People raised money from the public, including gifts from important figures like the Queen Mother (Queen Victoria's mother). With this money, the chapel was made much larger.

The old chapel became part of the new, bigger church. It formed the side sections, called "transepts." The new church, now called Christ Church, had a main seating area (the "nave") and a special area for the altar (the "chancel"). It also had a bell tower. The new church could seat 350 people. This larger church was consecrated on December 20, 1849.

Later, in 1913, the chancel was made even longer. The church was consecrated again on October 18, 1913.

Christ Church Today

Today, Christ Church holds a morning service every Sunday. There is also a special Communion service each Wednesday morning. The church supports several groups that do missionary work around the world. These include Open Doors, Gideons International, and AICMAR.

Christ Church follows a specific tradition within the Church of England. It receives guidance from a special bishop, the Bishop of Maidstone.

Building and Design

The church is built from brick and has a red sandstone front. Its roof is made of slate. It is a small building shaped like a cross, which is called "cruciform." It is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style copies the look of old Gothic churches.

At the front-left side of the church is a square bell tower. This tower once had four tall, thin spires on top, but they were removed a long time ago. The main door to the church is at the bottom of this tower.

Bells and Clock

When the church was rebuilt in 1849, one bell was put in the tower. Later, in 1897, this was replaced with eight tubular bells. These bells were a gift to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The tower also has a clock, which was installed in 1849. It was a gift from a local businessman in memory of his wife.

Inside the Church

Christ Church has several beautiful stained glass windows. The window at the front (east) is a memorial to a former vicar who died in 1859. The window at the back (west) remembers another vicar who died in 1873.

In the side sections of the church (the transepts), there are large metal panels. These panels have important Christian prayers and teachings painted on them, like the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments.

Organs and Memorials

The church has had three organs over the years. The current organ was given to the church in 1920. It was a gift in memory of a young man who died in a battle in France during World War I. His military medals are displayed next to the organ.

At the back of the main seating area, there is a special headstone. It is from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and remembers Senior Aircraftsman Ian Shinner, a service member who died in 1988. The church was lit by gas lights until electric lights were put in in 1937.

Outside the Church

Near the main entrance to the church, there is a war memorial. It is a wooden cross on a stone base, put up in 1920. It lists the names of 78 people from Wharton who died fighting in World War I. The churchyard also has the graves of nine service members who died in World War I and World War II.

Clergy in the Parish of Christ Church, Wharton