Christ Church, Chester

Christ Church stands in Somerset Street, Chester, a red-brick Gothic Revival church with stone dressings and grey-green slate roofs. It replaced an earlier church from 1838 and was rebuilt in stages by John Douglas between 1893 and 1904. The planned southwest steeple was never built, and a south porch was added in 1936 instead. The church has a five-bay nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel, a baptistry, and a southeast chapel. Its exterior features crosses as finials on the gables and blocked lucarnes on the nave roof. The interior contains work by notable figures such as Sir Charles Nicholson, who designed the gilded reredos, organ case, and side screen. The reredos in the southeast chapel was designed by Kempe, with figures carved by Joseph Mayer. Paintings by Gertrude Siddall adorn the organ screen, and there are two fonts, one from 1837 and another from 1904. The church also houses a painting by Westall dated 1826 and a work by Herbert Gustave Schmalz. Much of the stained glass is by Kempe, including windows from 1897 to 1902. Visitors find a space shaped by both tradition and modern needs. The church has a two-manual organ by Brindley & Foster, set for refurbishment. Recent changes include glass doors installed in 2015 to bring in more light and a stage brought forward. A 2019 project added an extension with community rooms for children’s work and support for the local homeless community. The church remains an active place of worship and a centre for community activities in Chester.