Christ Church, Lichfield
Encyclopedia
Christ Church is a parish church in Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...

, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. The church is situated in Leamonsley in the south west area of the city. The church is of Anglican denomination and serves a parish made up of Leamonsley, Sandfields and Lower Sandford Street areas of the city.

The church is a fine example of the decorated gothic revival
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...

 style seen in ecclesiastical architecture during the 19th century. The church is a Grade II* listed building and the Hinckley family tombs at the rear of the church are Grade II listed monuments. On the ceiling of the chancel are some unique pre-raphaelite
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...

 canvas panels painted by John D. Batten.

History

Building work on Christ Church began in 1844 and was completed in 1847 when the church was consecrated. The church would be the first new parish church in Lichfield since medieval times. The growing population in the west of the city brought the need to build a new church to serve the community in that area.

The ¾ acre site was given in 1844 by Richard Hinckley the owner of Beacon House and its surrounding estate grounds. The site of the church would be approximately 500m south of Beacon House at the edge of the estate grounds and visible to the Hinckley’s from their home. The cost of building the church was provided by Ellen Jane Hinckley, the wife of Richard Hinckley. The church was built with local red sandstone in a decorated gothic revival style under the design of Thomas Johnson of Lichfield. When the church was completed in 1847 in consisted of a chancel, nave and west tower containing a bell cast in 1845 by C. G. Mears of London.

In 1887 the church was enlarged to the designs of Matthew Holding of Northampton. North and south trancepts and bays were added. The north extension consisted of a Lady Chapel and the south extension provided the church with an organ chamber and choir vestry. These extensions were partly funded by S.L. Seckham
Samuel Lipscomb Seckham
Samuel Lipscomb Seckham was an English Victorian architect, developer, magistrate and brewer.Samuel Seckham was born in Oxford, England, and became the City Surveyor. He was the original architect employed by St John’s College, Oxford to develop parts of North Oxford. He developed Park Town, an...

 (the new owner of Beacon House) and partly by public subscription. The churchyard was enlarged in 1895 and 1929.

Notable Features

  • The chancel screen was presented to the church by the wife of S.L. Seckham in 1888.
  • In 1897 to mark 50 years of the church, pre-raphaelite
    Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
    The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...

     canvas panels painted by John D. Batten were placed on the chancel ceiling depicting Old Testament figures and symbols of Passion and Eucharist.
  • The Sanctuary was refurbished in 1906 with alabaster reredos and marble paving by George Frederick Bodley
    George Frederick Bodley
    George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....

    .
  • The clock was installed on the tower in 1913, made by A.O. Worthington in memory of his wife Sarah.
  • North and south chancel windows, trancept east window and nave south window date from the 1870s and 1880’ and were designed by Hardman & Co.
    Hardman & Co.
    Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...

  • Charles Eamer Kempe
    Charles Eamer Kempe
    Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...

    designed glass for the north trancept west window in 1894 and the east window in 1920.
  • The three tombs of the Hinckley family are located at the rear of the church and are a Grade II listed monument.
  • The gravesite of the Seckham family is in a specially located position along the east wall at the rear of the church.

Today

The church is still an active parish church within the community and holds regular Sunday services at 8am 9:45am and 6pm with weekday services at 7:30am. The church holds a Sunday school and is available for weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Christ Church CE (C) Primary School is located adjacent to the church. The school was founded in 1847 and provides education for children aged 4–11.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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