Christ Church

The construction of Christ Church was completed in 1830 with the architects Woodhead & Hurst of Doncaster overseeing the building work. Architectural plans were drawn up in 1827 and the foundation stone was laid on 16 October 1828 by Thomas Richard Ryder, Vicar of Ecclesfield. The dignitaries at the ceremony included William Hurst, one of the architects who by then had become Mayor of Doncaster; after the stone laying the party retired to the Peacock Inn for afternoon tea. The final cost of the church was £3,000 with part of the funding coming from the second parliamentary grant of the Church Building Act which was approved in 1824. However a substantial donation came from Eliza and Ann…

The church is built from coarse gritstone blocks in a symmetrical Gothic style. There is a low square bell tower with a weather vane on top and a three-faced clock and louvres below. Among the eye catching exterior features are the seven embattled turrets which stand on top of corner piers. The lychgate at the front entrance to the churchyard was erected in July 1940 by Rebecca Nichols in memory of her husband John who died in December 1914. The graveyard was enlarged in 1919 but is now almost full with very little space for new graves. The exterior of the church has had very few changes while the interior has been re-ordered several times. There was originally seating for 1,000 people but…