Christ Church is a former Church of England church in Downside, Somerset, England. Designed by John Pinch the younger, it was built in 1837–38 and closed in 1983. The church, now a private residence, is a Grade II listed building.

History

Christ Church was erected 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 St John the Baptist in the parish of

Midsomer Norton Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, west of Trowbridge and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. ...

, at a time when the population of the parish had reached over 3,000. Although the parish church had been rebuilt in 1830–31, its centralised location made it difficult for some inhabitants to attend services. The proposed chapel of ease was intended to serve the inhabitants of Downside, Benter and Clapton, all of whom were two to four miles from the parish church. The Bishop of Bath and Wells donated a plot of land for the new church, and the plans were drawn up by John Pinch. Construction began in 1937, and the completed church was consecrated by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Rev. George Henry Law, on 29 November 1838. Downside was made its own ecclesiastical parish on 4 July 1845, which contained Downside, Benter and

Nettlebridge Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, south-west of Westfield, north-east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in Somerset, England. It has a population of 1,108, and has a rural agricultu ...

, and part of Chilcompton. Christ Church underwent restoration and reseating in 1897, which included replacing the pews with new ones of pitch pine, laying new flooring and adding new altar steps, choir stalls and a vestry. The work was carried out by Messrs. W. A. Catley and C. Hill of Midsomer Norton to the designs of Mr. W. F. Bird. The work cost £200 and the church reopened on 21 November 1897. A new organ was gifted to the church by Miss Talbot of

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

and dedicated on 7 June 1899. The churchyard was extended in the same year to provide more burial space. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Rev.

George Kennion George Wyndham Kennion, DD (5 September 184519 May 1922), was the Anglican Bishop of Adelaide, and later Bishop of Bath and Wells. Birth and education George Wyndham Kennion, the son of George Kennion and Catherine, daughter of J.F. Fordy ...

, on 24 June 1899. Christ Church was declared redundant on 1 July 1983. It was subsequently sold and used as a store from 1985 to 1995. Planning permission was granted in 1995 for the building's conversion into a single dwelling.

Architecture

Christ Church is built of

Doulting stone Doulting Stone Quarry () is a limestone quarry at Doulting, on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. At present there are only three quarries quarrying Doulting stone. The largest, The Doulting Stone Quarry, was producing building stone in Rom ...

, with a roof of tile and slate. It was designed to accommodate 272 persons and made up of a three-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

nave, chancel and west porch. A bellcote containing a single bell was built on the west end gable. A vestry was added to the church in 1907.

References

{{Reflist Churches in Somerset Former churches in Somerset Grade II listed churches in Somerset Church of England church buildings in Mendip District Grade II listed buildings in Mendip District