Christ Church was a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

church in

West Fordington West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

, Dorchester,

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, England. It was built in 1845–46 and demolished in 1933.

History

Christ Church was built as a

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ea ...

to the parish church of St George's in Fordington. The vicar of the parish, Rev.

Henry Moule Henry Moule (1801–1880) was a priest in the Church of England and inventor of the dry earth toilet, a type of pail closet. Life Education and priesthood Moule, sixth son of George Moule, solicitor and banker, was born at Melksham, Wiltshire, ...

, proposed the construction of the church to serve the increasing population of the time and the regiments of Dorchester Barracks. He had been chaplain to the barracks since 1829 and donated some of the royalties of his 1845 book ''Barrack Sermons'' towards the cost of the new church. Other private contributions were received, alongside grants from the Incorporated and Diocesan Church Building Societies. The site, on the west side of The Grove between the barracks and the boundary of Colliton Park, was given by the

Duchy of Cornwall The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...

. Christ Church was designed by Mr. Edward Mondey of Dorchester and built by Mr. John Wellspring of Fordington under Mondey's supervision. The foundation stone was laid by the

Archdeacon of Dorset The Archdeacon of Dorset is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Salisbury, England. He or she is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the four area deaneries: Purbeck, Poole, Wimborne, and Milto ...

, Robert Buckle, on 29 May 1845, with assistance from Rev. Moule, Rev. Augustus Handley (curate) and other members of the clergy. Despite the poor weather, the ceremony was attended by several hundred members of the public. Christ Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury, Edward Denison, on 21 October 1846. In 1847, Christ Church became the parish church of the newly formed parish of West Fordington. As the population continued to increase, a temporary chapel of ease, known as the Tin Tabernacle, was erected at the Top O'Town in 1896–97. It was later replaced by the permanent church of St Mary's, which opened in 1912. Christ Church continued to be used for christenings and marriages until 1924, and closed when St Mary's was declared the new parish church of West Fordington in 1929. In 1931, Christ Church's demolition was recommended. That year Mr. Herbert Kendall of

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

drew up plans for proposals to purchase the church, dismantle and then rebuild it at

Ferndown Ferndown is a town and civil parish in Dorset in southern England, immediately to the north of Bournemouth and Poole. The parish, which until 1972 was called ''Hampreston'', includes the communities of Hampreston, Longham, Stapehill and Trickett' ...

. At the time, the growing town required replacement of its 1901 church, St Mary's. However the scheme did not come to fruition and a new church of Kendall's own design was built instead. Christ Church was demolished in 1933.

Architecture

Christ Church was built in the Early English style and designed to accommodate 400 persons. It had a cruciform plan and was made up of a nave, chancel, transepts, vestry and porch. The southern transept was allocated for the use of Sunday school children and the western region of the nave for use of soldiers at Dorchester Barracks. A turret containing one bell was placed on the west gable. The church had lancet windows in three of the four-bay nave and in other parts of the church. A three-light window was built in the chancel and two-light windows at the end of each transept. The font was built of Caen stone, while other fittings such as the pulpit, reading desk and communion table were of wood. A new organ was opened at the church on 26 January 1862, made by Mr. J. Eagles of London.

References

{{reflist Churches in Dorset Former churches in Dorset Church of England church buildings in Dorset Demolished churches in England Demolished buildings and structures in Dorset Buildings and structures demolished in 1933