Christ Church, Rode

{{Short description|Church in Somerset, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox historic site

| name = Christ Church

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| image = The former Rode Church - geograph.org.uk - 439034.jpg

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| locmapin = Somerset

| coordinates = {{coord|51|17|10|N|2|16|45|W|display=inline,title}}

| location = Rode, Somerset, England

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| built = 1824

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| designation1 = Grade II* listed building

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| designation1_date =11 March 1968{{cite web|title=Christ Church|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1058062|publisher=Historic England|accessdate=30 October 2015}}

| designation1_number = 1058062

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The Anglican Church of St Peter in Rode, within the English county of Somerset, dates from 1824. It is a redundant church and a Grade II* listed building.

The church was built by Henry Goodridge for Charles Daubeny, the Archdeacon of Sarum.{{cite web|title=The History of the Village of Rode|url=http://www.rodevillage.com/history-of-rode/Holloway's%20Village%20History.html|publisher=Rode Village|accessdate=30 October 2015}} At that time Rode Hill was in Wiltshire while the adjacent village of Rode was in Somerset, and Daubeny wished to deter parishioners from attending Rode's church, St Lawrence, which was over the border and within the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Therefore he raised subscriptions for the building of the new church at Rode Hill.

The design with a tall nave and chancel was inspired by King's College Chapel, Cambridge.{{cite web|title=Christchurch House|url=http://www.aviolin.com/church.html|publisher=Andrew Hooker Violins|accessdate=30 October 2015}} The church was a chapelry of North Bradley until 1933, when it was reassigned to the parish of Rode.{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History - Wiltshire - Vol 8 pp218-234 - North Bradley|editor-first=D.A.|editor-last=Crowley|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol8/pp218-234|publisher=University of London|accessdate=15 March 2016}}

A bell cast for the church by Rudhall of Gloucester in 1823 did not have enough room to swing and was used for static chiming. When the church was declared redundant in 1995 and sold into private hands, the bell was obtained by the Keltek Trust and is now in a church in Menangle, New South Wales.{{cite web|title=Conservation by Re-use|url=http://www.keltektrust.org.uk/rodehill.html|publisher=Keltec Trust|accessdate=30 October 2015}}{{cite web|title=Hist Christchurch Rode|url=http://www.hardingtonvale.org.uk/?Our_History:Hist_Christchurch_Rode|publisher=Parish of Hardington Vale|accessdate=30 October 2015}}

In the 1990s the fabric of the church was in need of repair and in 1993 a corbel fell into the church. Following this, insurance cover was withdrawn and insufficient funds could be found for the repair.{{cite web|last1=Foyston|first1=Brian|title=A History of the Established Church in Rode|url=http://www.hardingtonvale.org.uk/?download=A%20History%20of%20the%20%20established%20church%20in%20RODE.doc.|publisher=Parish of Hardington Vale|accessdate=30 October 2015}} After the church was made redundant, repairs were needed to the south steeple and roof which were supported by a grant from English Heritage.

The church now serves as a house and shop for Andrew Hooker Violins.{{cite web|title=Location|url=http://www.aviolin.com/location.html|publisher=Andrew Hooker Violins|accessdate=30 October 2015}} It is also used for music concerts.{{cite web|title=Christchurch House Concert|url=http://www.paularchibald.co.uk/pages/home.php?page=148|publisher=Paul Archibald|accessdate=30 October 2015}}