Christ Church is an
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
church in
Fenton, Staffordshire
Fenton is one of the six towns that amalgamated with Hanley, Tunstall, Burslem, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent to form the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910, later raised to city status in 1925. Fenton is often referred to as "the Forgot ...
, England. It is in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent and Fenton, and in the
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers of seve ...
. The building is
Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
.
History and description
Background
During the early 19th century Fenton grew from being a collection of villages to having a more urban character. The Fenton area was in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent until 1841, when a new parish was created: it covered the two townships of Fenton Culvert and Fenton Vivian, except for a part already in the new parish of Longton.
['Fenton', in ''A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 8'', ed. J G Jenkins (London, 1963), pp. 205-224]
British History Online. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
The former building
The original Christ Church in Fenton was built in 1838–1839. The architect was Henry Ward, who also designed
the Town Hall of Stoke-upon-Trent. It was in
Gothic style
Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...
, built of brick with stone dressings, with a west tower. It had an unaisled
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
of five bays, and seated about 1,000. It was later demolished and replaced by the present building.
["The original Christ Church – Fenton"]
thepotteries.org. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
The present building
The present church, designed by
Charles Lynam, was built in 1890–1891; the west tower, with eight bells, was added in 1899. The church seats 1,900. It is in Gothic style, and built of red and blue brick with stone dressings. The nave, of six bays, has aisles and a
clerestory
A clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey; from Old French ''cler estor'') is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, a ''clerestory' ...
; there is a south chapel and a north
vestry
A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...
. The tower has an
embattled
A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...
parapet, above an arcading of white bricks.
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]
See also
* Listed buildings in Stoke-on-Trent
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenton, Christ Church
Grade II listed churches in Staffordshire
Church of England church buildings in Staffordshire
Diocese of Lichfield
Churches in Stoke-on-Trent