The Christ Church Spitalfields website [visit
link] gives a brief history of the
church:
"Christ Church was built between the years 1714 and 1729
as part of the church building programme initiated by the Fifty New Churches act
of 1711, backed by Queen Anne, which was implemented by four different
Commissions.
At the time, there were fears that ‘godless thousands’
outside the City of London had no adequate church provision, and that
non-conformists – including large numbers of French Huguenot silk weavers – were
moving into Spitalfields and bringing their non-conformist worshipping ways with
them.
The Commission appointed to build the 50 new churches
stipulated that the new buildings should have tall spires so that they would
tower above the smaller, non-conformist chapels! The idea was to fund the work
through taxes on coal coming into London, although monies ran low in about 1719
and building progressed fitfully.
One of the two surveyors employed by the first
Commission, at an initial rate of £200 per year, was Nicholas Hawksmoor – a
Nottinghamshire-born architect who had worked with Sir Christopher Wren since
his late teens. Of the 12 churches completed (out of the projected 50), six were
the work of Hawksmoor, and Christ Church was his masterpiece. For further
information about the other five Hawkesmore church visit:
St
George-in-the-east
St Alfege
Greenwich
St Anne's Limehouse
St
Mary Woolnoth
St George's Bloomsbury
If you are interested in learning more about Nicholas
Hawksmoor and the architectural story of Christ Church, there are several good
books on the subject including Kerry Downes’s Hawksmoor and Vaughan Hart’s
Nicholas Hawksmoor. To find out how the area of Spitalfields developed, look at
Sheppard’s 1957 Survey of London, available online.
For the past 300 years Christ Church has remained a
Christian centre of worship and today it has thriving congregations that meet on
Sundays and throughout the week. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement,
preached here towards the end of his life, and staff members have included the
18th century curate Samuel Henshall, who invented the modern corkscrew (and
reputedly died owing £400 to his wine merchant).
The church has seen at least two large-scale
alterations, the first in 1866 (directed by the architect Ewen Christian) which
changed the entire look of the interior, and the second which began in the 1960s
and was only recently completed – a restoration of the church to its original
state, which it was initially estimated would cost £1 million and in fact cost
£10 million. Since reopening in 2004, the church has been visited by more than
100,000 people.
Famed for the eloquence of its stonework, Christ Church
Spitalfields is also full of fascinating human stories. In the 1980s a project
to excavate 1,000 bodies from its crypt helped to change the way archaeological
dating is done. It has been the site of scandal (a furore in the 1820s over the
huge expense by Christ Church vestrymen on new furnishings saw the case going to
Parliament, and laws changed on the power of vestries) and also of spectacle: in
recent years the church has hosted many grand events including opera, classical
music premieres, a documentary and dinner to celebrate the work of local artists
Gilbert & George, and performances by pop acts Mika and The
Feeling."
The church is Grade I listed and the entry at the English
Heritage website [visit link] tells us:
"COMMERCIAL STREET E1 1. 4431 (East Side) Christ Church
TQ 3381 NE 14A/365 29.12.50. GV 2. 1723-29 Architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. White
ashlar tower and spire dominate the Spitalfields area. Western portico of 4
giant Tuscan columns. Central semi-circular arch, a theme repeated in the facade
below tower. Steps. Interior (apart from crypt) now closed for
restoration.
The Drinking Fountain and Trough, and the 5 Bollards
form a group with Christ Church and the Ten Bells Public House. Christ Church
forms part of groups on Commercial Street and is also part of the group centred
on Fournier Street.
COMMERCIAL STREET E1 1. 4431 (East Side) 2 sets of Gate
Piers to Churchyard of Christ Church TQ 3381 NE 14A/366 II GV 2. C18. 2 pairs of
tall white stone gate piers with caps, those nearest Fournier Street with ball
finials.
The Drinking Fountain and Trough, and the 5 Bollards
form a group with Christ Church and the Ten Bells Public House. Christ Church
forms part of groups on Commercial Street and is also part of the group centred
on Fournier Street."
The church website [visit
link] tells us about the church services and
times:
"There are a number of ways to get involved at Christ
Church. The first is through our services, where our congregations gather. We
always encourage people to stay behind after services and introduce themselves
to those around them and enjoy the coffee and cakes. It’s a great time to meet
people in a relaxed and informal setting.
8.30 Sunday morning
On the first, third and fifth
Sundays of the month we meet for a formal Communion Service. If you prefer a
traditional service, then you will find a home here.
10.30 Sunday morning
Every Sunday, our main service
is a mix of preaching based on the bible applied to everyday life, sung worship,
prayer and plenty of opportunity to chat with others over coffee
afterwards.
6.00 Sunday evening - The Six
The Six offers a
relaxed and friendly environment, with tea, cakes and comfy sofas, a clear,
simple and creative service of passionate worship, provocative teaching and
persistent prayer. A great service to invite your friends to.
Children's Church
Our church family is proud of its
children, we run a children’s church during our main Sunday service. During this
time the children learn Bible stories, learn how to pray, they sing, play and
make beautiful things . Children leave for children’s church after a time of
sung worship with which we begin our main Sunday service. They meet in our crypt
chapel and join us again for refreshments after the service.
13.10-13.40 Tuesday lunchtime
STOP - take time to rejoice with us and to explore God's word with
us...
Lunchtime with God, a service to refresh in the middle of the day,
followed with soup and bread."
The church encourages visitors [visit
link]:
"Visit Christ Church and you will understand why Giles
Worsley wrote in The Daily Telegraph in 2004, 'The restoration of Christ
Church...is a triumph. It may have taken more than a quarter of a century to
complete and needed the largest grant ever given by the Heritage Lottery Fund
(at that date) to a church...but the result is worth every penny. Only now can
we fully understand the masterpiece of the man who has a good claim to be
Britain's greatest architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor... this meticulously accurate
restoration is a revelation.'
Opening Times
Christ Church Spitalfields is open to
the public on Sundays (1pm-4pm) and Tuesdays (10am-4pm).
It is also open
Monday to Friday 10am-4pm when not in use for worship or for private hire. If
you are travelling a long distance, please check in advance by calling 020 7377
6793. Tours may also be booked in advance through the church office and
refreshments can be provided for larger groups."