Christ Church is an Anglican place of worship in the town of Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. Built in 1821 by John Oates to replace Brigg Chapel which had stood alongside the River Calder since 1526, the church was the result of over 20 years of fundraising to build the new place of worship for the growing town. Despite completion in 1821 Christ Church was not consecrated until 1824. It has been remodelled, extended and refurbished a number of times, lastly in 1895 after a fire gutted the chancel, roof and organ.
A number of items inside the church have been taken from nearby churches and chapels after they were closed. The graveyard was closed in 1857 by order of the Secretary to Queen Victoria, due to fears of disease, despite this burials are said to have continued until 1960 with John Eddie Bottomley (1879-1960) the last known burial at Christ Church.
I took these pictures on the 18th March 2018 with a Nikon d3300.
The junction pictured used to be part of the Rochdale Canal, the church tower overlooking
Lock number 3. This was infilled sometime in the late 1940's. early 1950's and Tuel Lane built over it. The canal was reopened in 1996 when a tunnel was built underneath the junction and lock 3 and 4 were replaced by the deepest canal lock in the United Kingdom a short distance further west than the original lock 3.
The steps in front of the church are a recent edition, the road being recently widened here. The clock was added in 1839.
This picture would not have been possible for a number of years, the view would have been blocked by York House, a block of maisonette's that suffered from a poor reputation. They were demolished around the turn of the millennium, the area now overgrown and abandoned.
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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.
