Christ Church, Macclesfield
Christ Church, Macclesfield | ||
---|---|---|
Style Georgian | | |
Completed | 1777 | |
Specifications | ||
Capacity | 1,800 | |
Materials | Brick with stone dressings Slate roof |
Christ Church is a
History
In the second half of the 18th century the parish church of Macclesfield, St Michael's was not big enough to cope with the needs of the growing population of the town.[4] In 1772 David Simpson was appointed curate to the church but was deprived of his curacy because of his evangelical beliefs and preaching. Simpson had been invited to Macclesfield by Charles Roe, a local industrialist. Roe built Christ Church for David Simpson, who became its first vicar.[5]
The body of the church was built in seven months in 1775 and the church was opened on Christmas Day of that year. The tower was built the following year. Its height is 107 feet (33 m) which is out of proportion to the body of the church. It was built to this height to compete with the height of the tower of St Michael's Church. The church originally contained a large pulpit.[6] David Simpson was a close friend of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.[5] Unusually for an Anglican church, Simpson invited Wesley to preach there on at least 12 occasions.[4] Christ Church was vested in the Trust on 1 June 1985.[7]
A local group, The Roe-naissance Project, established in 2012[8][non-primary source needed] is working with The Churches Conservation Trust and Cheshire East Council to find a new appropriate and sustainable use for the building.
Architecture
Exterior
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Macclesfield_Christchurch.jpg/220px-Macclesfield_Christchurch.jpg)
The church is built in brick with stone facings in
Interior
Inside the church a continuous gallery curves round the north, west and south sides, which is supported by columns of cast iron which are encased in wood.
The three-decker pulpit and choirstalls have been dismantled and put into storage.[3] There are several items of carving from the "Macclesfield School of Carving" within the church. The most notable is a fine Edwardian reredos altar screen. This was dis-assembled during a restoration programme by over enthusiastic conservators to return the look of the Church to its Georgian original.[citation needed]
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England
- Listed buildings in Macclesfield
References
- ^ a b c d Historic England, "Christ Church, Macclesfield (1206916)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ a b c Christ Church, Macclesfield, Cheshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 18 October 2016
- ^ a b Thornber, Craig (2005), A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Christ Church, Macclesfield, retrieved 27 November 2007
- ^ a b c d Hollinshead, Liz (2002), Christ Church, Macclesfield, Cheshire: Information for Teachers, London: Churches Conservation Trust
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press. [1] Retrieved on 27 November 2007 ((subscription or UK public library membershiprequired))
- ^ Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: B. T Batsford, pp. 213–216
- ^ Diocese of Chester: All Schemes (PDF), Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2010, p. 4, retrieved 3 April 2011
- ^ "The Roe-naissance Project". The Roe-naissance Project facebook page.
- ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
- ^ Macclesfield Christ Church, British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 11 August 2008
External links
Media related to Christ Church, Macclesfield at Wikimedia Commons