Christ Church, High Harrogate is a parish church in the Church of England located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It was the first church building to be built in Harrogate and is today home to a thriving congregation and – along with the attached Parish Centre – an important focus of community activities.
History Christ Church, High Harrogate was the first permanent church building in Harrogate, as Harrogate did not previously have a church of its own. Originally a chapel of ease to St John's, Knaresborough, the bulk of the present building was erected in 1831 to designs by the architect John Oates and consecrated as the first parish church in the town. The transepts and chancel were added in 1862 by Henry Francis Lockwood and William Mawson. The carving on the extensions and a previous reredos were executed by Mawer and Ingle in 1862.Yorkshire Gazette, Saturday 05 July 1862 p5 col.3: "Enlargement of Christ Church, Harrogate" There have been significant changes to the building in the 1920s (many major internal changes), the 1930s (the installation of the Comper reredos) and the 1980s (the building of the attached parish centre.).
Christ Church has in turn planted a series of other churches across the town including St. Peter's (1870), St Luke's (1898), and St Andrew's Starbeck (1911). Like Christ Church itself, all of these are thriving Christian communities today.
Present day Christ Church is home to a thriving Christian community of 300+ adults and 170+ children and young people. It stands in the mainstream of the Anglican (Church of England) tradition.
List of Vicars Perpetual curates (1755–1831): 1755 – 1759 William Leigh Williamson 1759 – 1765 Nevile Stow 1765 – 1769 John Hinde 1769 – 1825 Robert Mitton 1825 John Lloyd Lugger 1825 – 1831 Thomas Kennion (and see Vicars below)
Vicars (1831–present): 1831 – 1845 Thomas Kennion 1845 – 1858 Thomas Sheepshanks 1858 – 1870 Horatio James (Canon of Ripon) 1870 – 1887 William Winter Gibbon (Canon of Ripon) 1887 – 1903 Richard Wentworth Fawkes 1904 – 1926 Douglas Sherwood Guy (Canon of Ripon) 1927 – 1935 Paul Fulchrand Delacour de Labilliere (subsequently Bishop of Knaresborough and Dean of Westminster) 1935 – 1937 Claude Cyprian Thornton (Canon of Ripon) 1937 – 1943 Martin Kiddle 1943 – 1954 William Frederick Vernon 1954 – 1970 Thomas Arthur Bendelow 1970 – 1994 Richard Thomas Wright McDermid (Chaplain to HM the Queen, Canon of Ripon) 1995 – 2007 John Edward Colston (Canon of Ripon) 2008 – 2014 Nicholas James Henshall 2015 – Matthew Scott Evans (22 January 2015 – present)
This list is taken directly from the board at the west end of the church and all spellings are as on the board.
Organ In 1908 a new organ by Norman & Beard was installed. It was rebuilt by John T. Jackson in 1980 with a new detached console. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organist and Director of Music Mr. Pilkington ca. 1863Leeds Times – Saturday 11 July 1863 Matthew Arnold ca. 1867 John Septimus Dickinson ???? – 1870 (afterwards organist of St. Peter's Church, Harrogate) W.P. Bell ca. 1880York Herald – Friday 9 April 1880 Mr. Wade ca. 1892York Herald – Saturday 8 October 1892 J.F. Chubb 1910Hastings and St Leonards Observer – Saturday 21 May 1910 – ???? Ernest Farrar ARCO 1912 – 1916Dictionary of Organs and Organists. First Edition. 1912 Warner Yeomans ca. 1920 Douglas Robinson 1946 – 1974? Ralph Franklin FTCL FGSM ca. 1980s Derek Bolton 1980's Dr John Beilby BMus PhD FLCM LRAM LTCL 2005 – 2008 Jonathan Eyre BMus (Hons) ARCO ATCL 2008 – 2009 Christine Alp GRSM LRAM LGSM 2009–2024 David Darling 2024-present
See also Listed buildings in Harrogate (High Harrogate Ward)
References