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Christ Church

Christ Church, Christchurch Road

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1113441
Date first listed:: 14-Dec-1978
List Entry Name:: Christ Church
Statutory Address:: Christ Church, Christchurch Road

User submitted image — Uploaded by David Lovell This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.

Date:: 2004-01-15
Reference:: IOE01/11614/03
Rights:: © Mr Richard Swynford-Lain. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1113441
Date first listed:: 14-Dec-1978
List Entry Name:: Christ Church
Statutory Address 1:: Christ Church, Christchurch Road

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Christ Church, Christchurch Road

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Reading (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SU 72212 72175

Details

SU 7272 9/440

Christchurch Road (south side) Christ Church

II*

Church of England 1861-2 by Henry Woodyer. Enlarged 1874. An extremely good and large High Victorian Church and one of Reading's landmarks. Early English style. North-west tower porch capped by steeple. Built in coursed Pennant sandstone rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings. Tiled roofs. Six bay aisled nave and lower three bay chancel. Latter has later vestry (as north transept externally with arcaded string, pointed doorway and plate tracery occulus).

1874 south chapel. Nave clerestory consists of small foiled lancets set in a bold ashlar blind traceried arcade. Aisle windows also cusped, divided by buttresses. Geometric tracery window to chancel and five light decorated-style east window.

Tower and steeple are the main features, completed 1875 (though carving unfinished). Three stage tower with angle buttresses with stepped plinth and various set offs, capped by diagonal pinnacles taking fliers to steeple. Gargoyles and unfinished decoration to parapet. Total height to top of steeple 164 ft. Uncarved crockets to south porch.

Interior: ruin feature is the chancel arch whose upper part is filled with reticulated tracery (said to represent the Veil of the Temple). Arcade has Purbeck shafts and gablets to capitals which have large naturalistic flowers. cusped rere-arches to clerestory. Queen post roof with wind braces. Collar purlin roof with scissor braces in chancel. Pulpit, also probably by Woodyer, in two stages. Low flint wall about four ft high and with chamfered capping to street. The church was originally planned as a 'chapel of ease' for St Giles', to cope with an expanding parish. Woodyer's school in Basingstoke Road (qv St Paul's School) was used until Christ Church was ready.

Listing NGR: SU7221272175

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 38852
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Websites
British Geological Survey, Strategic Stone Study, accessed 4 February 2020 from https://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/buildingStones/StrategicStoneStudy/EH_atlases.html

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.