St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester

St Thomas of Canterbury Church stands in Chester’s Garden Quarter, near the university and close to the city centre. Built in 1872, it replaced an older chapel dedicated to St Thomas Becket that once stood by St Werburgh’s Abbey. The present church is a Grade II listed building and part of the Diocese of Chester. It serves the historic parish of St Oswald, first recorded around 980 AD. The parish registers begin in 1580, showing its long presence in the city. The church became the parish church in 1881 after parishioners surrendered rights in Chester Cathedral’s south transept. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in Early English style, it was enlarged by his son J. O. Scott in 1881. The additions included a new nave, porch, vestries, organ chamber and stained glass. A reredos by Charles Deacon was installed in 1909, and the church has served as an active Anglican parish ever since. Inside, the church has a chancel with a south aisle and a three-bay nave. The interior features oak choir seating, a pulpit, sedilia and a font moved to the west end. Anglo-Catholic services were introduced in 1909 and continue today. The surrounding area includes the former mission church of the Good Shepherd and the site of the medieval St Thomas Chapel. The church remains a place of worship and a reminder of Chester’s medieval and Victorian past.