Christ Church, Croft
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox church | name = Christ Church, Croft| fullname = | image = Croft, Christchurch - geograph.org.uk - 179548.jpg| imagesize = 200| imagealt = | landscape = | caption = Christ Church, Croft, from the west| pushpin map = Cheshire| pushpin map alt = | pushpin mapsize = 250 | pushpin label position = | map caption = Location in Cheshire| location = Lady Lane, Croft, Cheshire| country = England | coordinates = {{coord|53.4374|-2.5433|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}} | osgraw = SJ 640,936| denomination = Anglican | churchmanship = | membership = | attendance = | website = [http://newchurch-christchurch.net/christchurch.aspx Christ Church, Croft] | former name = | bull date = | founded date = | founder = | dedication = | dedicated date = | consecrated date = 29 November 1833| cult = | relics = | events = | past bishop = | people = | status = Parish church| functional status = Active| heritage designation = Grade II| designated date = 9 August 1966| architect = Edward Blore| architectural type = Church| style = Gothic Revival| groundbreaking = 1832| completed date = 1833| construction cost = £2,667| closed date = | demolished date = | capacity = | length = | width = | width nave = | height = | diameter = | other dimensions = | floor count = | floor area = | spire quantity = | spire height = | materials = | parish = Croft with Southworth| deanery = Winwick| archdeaconry = Warrington| diocese = Liverpool| province = York| rector = Revd Dr C J Stafford| vicar = | curate = | priest = | asstpriest = | minister = | assistant = | honpriest = | deacon = | seniorpastor = | pastor = | abbot = | chaplain = | reader = | organistdom = | director = | organist = | organscholar = | chapterclerk = | laychapter = | warden = | flowerguild = | musicgroup = | parishadmin = | serversguild = | logo = | logosize = }}
Christ Church is in Lady Lane, Croft, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Winwick, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its benefice is united with that of Newchurch.{{Citation | url = http://www.achurchnearyou.com/croft-southworth-christ-church/| title = Christ Church, Croft w Southworth| access-date = 15 December 2011| publisher = Church of England}} The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE |num= 1329750|desc= Christ's Church, Croft|access-date= 15 December 2011}} It was a Commissioners' church and had received a grant for its building from the Church Building Commission.{{Citation | last = Port| first = M. H.| year = 2006| title = 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818–1856 | edition = 2nd| publication-place = Reading| publisher = Spire Books| page = 334| isbn = 978-1-904965-08-4}}
History
The church was built between 1832 and 1833 to a design by Edward Blore.{{Citation | last =Pollard| first =Richard | last2 = Pevsner | first2 = Nikolaus | author2-link =Nikolaus Pevsner| series= The Buildings of England|title =Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West | publisher =Yale University Press | year =2006 | location =New Haven and London | pages = 164–165| isbn =0-300-10910-5 }} A grant of £1,457 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1457|1833|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} was given towards its construction by the Church Building Commission. Its total cost was £2,667. The church was consecrated on 29 November 1833 by the Bishop of Chester.{{Citation| url = http://newchurch-christchurch.net/history_christchurch.aspx| title = History| access-date = 15 December 2011| publisher = Newchurch and Christ Church, Culcheth and Croft| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426052658/http://newchurch-christchurch.net/history_christchurch.aspx| archive-date = 26 April 2012| url-status = dead}}
From 1839 until 1892, the rector of Croft with Southworth was Thomas Penyngton Kirkman, who in addition to his ministerial work was also a mathematician, for whom Kirkman triple systems are named.{{citation
| last = Biggs | first = N. L. | author-link = Norman L. Biggs
| doi = 10.1112/blms/13.2.97
| issue = 2
| journal = The Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society
| mr = 608093
| pages = 97–120
| title = T. P. Kirkman, mathematician
| volume = 13
| year = 1981}}.
Architecture
Christ Church is constructed in red sandstone with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave, a short chancel, and a steeple at the southwest corner. The tower is square with angle buttresses, a doorway on the east side, lancet windows on the south and west faces, and bell openings consisting of twin louvred lancets. The summit of the tower broaches into a hexagonal drum with louvred lucarnes, above which is the spire, also containing lucarnes. All the windows in the church are lancets.
Inside the church is a small west gallery. Also present are panels inscribed with the Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. The reredos is in coloured marble and Caen stone. The stained glass in the east window is by Mayer of Munich. It depicts the Good Shepherd flanked by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The other Windows are by Shrigley and Hunt.
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Churches in Cheshire}}
{{Deanery of Winwick churches}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Christ Church}}
Category:Church of England church buildings in Cheshire
Category:Grade II listed churches in Cheshire
Category:Churches completed in 1833
Category:19th-century Church of England church buildings
Category:Anglican Diocese of Liverpool