Christ Church, Sandown is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

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 Britai ...

located in

Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake in between. Together with Shanklin, Sandown forms a built-up area of ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

. Rev.

William Darwin Fox The Reverend William Darwin Fox (23 April 1805 – 8 April 1880) was an English clergyman, naturalist, and a second cousin of Charles Darwin. Early life Fox was born in 1805 and initially raised at Thurleston Grange near Elvaston, Derbys ...

, naturalist-clergyman, second cousin of

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

, is buried in the graveyard, with most of his large family.

History

The church was built in 1845 by the architect Woodman It was the first

building in Sandown and so is considered the parish church of the town. The ‘Princess Royal Chapel’ is named after Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria, who gave a window in it. The graveyard contains a memorial to the wreck of HMS Eurydice which featured in a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem of the same name. It also contains the war graves of 19 Commonwealth service personnel of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and two from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, besides one of a

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

sailor from the former war.
CWGC Cemetery report.

Parish status

The church is in a joint parish with the

Church of St. John the Evangelist, Sandown The Church of St. John the Evangelist, Sandown is a parish church in the Church of England located in Sandown, Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from w ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandown, Christ Church Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight Grade II listed churches on the Isle of Wight Sandown