Diameter: 18" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by John Warner & Sons 1868
Dove Bell ID: 62436 Tower ID: 24861 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Windhill: Christ Church
Overview
Grid reference: SE 156 376
The church was built in 1868 to designs by Andrews, Son and Pepper, who were also responsible for several municipal buildings in Bradford. The church replaced mission rooms nearby and cost some £4,500 to build, paid for by the parishioners and various benefactors, including a grant from the ICBS. A Victorian church designed in the Early English style, with plate tracery and cusped lancets. It is tall with steeply pitched roofs and a clearstorey, compensating somewhat for the lack of the intended steeple.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Aisled nave, apsidal chancel with clergy vestry and organ chamber, west porch, south-west choir vestry.
Dimensions:
Nave approx 60ft x 23ft (18.5m x 7.5m)
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built on a new site beyond the eastern edge of the old town. The remnants of the latter were lost during the late 1940s, when 18th-century Shipley Hall and a late 17th-century house to the south of the church were demolished. The town had been transformed in 1853 when Titus Salt came to the area, founding Saltaire at the north-western edge of Shipley. The town and population expanded and the church was built in 1868 to designs by Andrews, Son and Pepper, who were also responsible for several municipal buildings in Bradford. The church replaced mission rooms nearby and cost some £4,500 to build, paid for by the parishioners and various benefactors, including a grant from the ICBS. A steeple was originally intended over the north-east corner of the nave but was not built due to lack of funds.
The fittings and furnishings appear to have accreted over the life of the church rather than belonging to a single phase, with two dates recurring often, 1908 when the choir vestry at the west end was built and 1950, when the lady chapel was installed in the south aisle. In 1976 a parish hall was constructed at the west end behind a screen across the west bay, and the west porch was converted to provide toilets and a kitchen. These conversions are simple but have worked well. The church is now shared with the local Methodist congregation, who provide the minister.
Exterior Description
A Victorian church designed in the Early English style, with plate tracery and cusped lancets. It is tall with steeply pitched roofs and a clearstorey, compensating somewhat for the lack of the intended steeple.
Starting from the west, the choir vestry, a simple block, extends west from the south-west corner. It has a rectangular 3-light window with mullions in the west wall, similar 2-light in the east and a rectangular doorway in the south.
There is a short gabled west narthex under the west window, reached by a flight of stone steps. The narthex has a pointed entrance arch rising from engaged columns with heavily carved stiff-leaf capitals. The arch has been filled in and a new rectangular plain door fitted within it, painted green; the porch is no longer used as such. There are three breathers in the gable above. Flanking the entrance is a pair of round quatrefoil windows. Above this is a large plate tracery pointed window with a rose window above five short lancets. These are framed by buttresses which climb from the narthex to the nave eaves.
There is a single lancet in the west and east walls of the aisles, and the aisle side wall fenestration is of paired lancets in each bay, with a round window with quatrefoil tracery in the clearstorey. There is a rectangular door in the east bay of the south aisle, and a single buttress with one weathering adjacent. The roof above this east door, which gives access to the organ chamber, is carried up as a catslide to the eaves of the apse roof. There is also a pointed arched door in the east bay of the north aisle under a hoodmould with floriate stops which gives access to the vestry. Adjacent to this is a tall slit window between buttresses, the vestiges of the planned steeple here. The chancel apse is pierced by seven lancets.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
Victorian
Three central apse lancets have Christ preaching by Mayer of Munich, continuous landscape background, good. Donated by Elizabeth Ward. Brought from Christ Church Bradford in 1948 to celebrate 75th anniversary of church.
Stained Glass
Victorian
The four west lancets in the north wall have decorative glass with roundels (various symbols) in memory of Elizabeth Keeling, died 1896
Stained Glass
Victorian
Three roundels over the main south door.
Stained Glass
20th Century
West rose window, Christ in Majesty. In memory of Helena Rhodes died 1941 and Joseph Rhodes died 1949.
Stained Glass
1943
Lady chapel window, black letter epitaph in memory of J H Maltby DFM, given 1943
Stained Glass
20th Century
Lady chapel window, black letter epitaph in memory of my parents HW
Stained Glass
20th Century (various)
- South nave, similar, but inscription faded
- South nave, similar, in memory of Gnr William Bray, died at sea in 1944 while a prisoner of war.
- South nave, Virgin with Child
- South nave, Light of the World
Stained Glass
20th Century (various)
- North nave wall, St George, in memory of Joshua Whiteley, died on active service with the 8th army, 1945.
- North nave wall, Suffer the Children, in memory of Graham Hoyle died 1933.
Stained Glass
1961
Mary washing Jesus’s feet, in memory of Sarah died 1945 and Thomas Foulger.
Stained Glass
20th Century
The Good Shepherd, in memory of Olive Raistrick, died 1948.
Building Materials
Millstone Grit
Random coursed, walls
Slate
Westmorland slate roof
Interior
Interior Description
the interior is whitewashed, the arcades and arches exposed grey stone. The pointed arcades are carried on columns with heavily carved stiff-leaf capitals, the bases are square with chamfered corners. The nave is fully pewed with pine benches, but there is a clear space in front of the chancel arch where a platform has been constructed to accommodate a nave altar. The roof is simple, arch braced and panelled.
The font is located in the south aisle just in front of the Lady chapel, which encloses the easternmost bay of the south aisle, with wooden screens on both exposed sides, with a heavily carved moulded cornice with three rather amusingly depicted mice in the centre, dated 1950. Within the chapel a small door in the panelling behind the altar leads into the organ chamber.
The chancel arch is of two orders, the outer with floriate stops, the inner taken down to moulded consoles. There is a very ornately carved 8-bay oak screen of 1908 with a heavy moulded cornice and filigree tracery. A pointed doorway, partly blocked with pine panelling and with a wooden door, adjacent to the chancel arch on the north side leads into the vicar’s vestry, which has a staircase up to a room above used as a store, but which was meant as the beginning of the steeple here.
The chancel is furnished with two pine choir stalls on either side and front desks, the floor has encaustic tiles, generally in a worn condition. The ceiling is panelled, painted blue between ribs picked out in white. The sanctuary is a further step up from the chancel and has stained glass in the three apse lancets. It has oak panelling on all sides. The altar table and reredos have been brought west to allow westward facing services. A broad plain pointed arch in the south wall contains the organ, with plain exposed pipes. Another arch to the vestry has pine panelling.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1949
High altar, oak chest with some tracery.
Altar
1868
Lady altar, smaller pitched pine table, with open tracery.
Reredos
1924
Light stained oak panelling with tracery and heavy coved cornice, given 1924 in memory of George Brigham. The panelling around the walls was given by the Longbottom family c 1932.
Pulpit
Octagonal stone pulpit originally integral with chancel arch and wall but since moved. Blind arcading with cusped arches, carved cornice.
Lectern
1908
Brass eagle
Lectern
1942
Wooden lectern
Font (object)
Grey stone, octagonal with quatrefoils on the bowl panels, standing on octagonal plinth. A large crocketed conical oak cover stands nearby.
Rail
1908
Hinged oak traceried rail
Rail
1950
Oak rail in Lady chapel, given in 1950 in memory of Alice Heaton.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 156 376
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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