Christ Church, Weston Point

Visited March 2024 | England | Extant

History:

Christ Church, Weston Point, has its origins in 1839, when the trustees of the Weaver Navigation received a petition from their employees requesting them to allow them “the privelege of resting on the Sabbath day” and to allow them to “have an opportunity of attending Divine Service”. On the 4th of August 1840, a Weaver Navigation Act was passed to allow the trustees to use part of their funding to build a church for their employees at Weston Point, a former headland that jutted out into the Mersey Estuary. The architect selected was Edmund Sharpe of Lancaster and the foundation stone was laid by Sir Richard Brooke of Norton Priory. The church was consecrated the year later on the 21st of December 1841 by the Bishop of Chester, John Bird Sumner. The building was built in an interesting blend of Early English and Decorated Gothic Revival architecture. The lofty 100ft tower was equipped with a bell cast by Thomas II Mears of Whitechapel, London, in 1842 however this bell was lost in a fire which destroyed the original spire in 1898. A replacement bell was cast by the John Taylor and Co. foundry of Loughborough, Leicestershire and installed within the restored tower.

The church is rather unique because it is now on an uninhabited island and is the only such church in the UK to have that distinction. Originally it was on a headland but when the Manchester Ship Canal and Runcorn Canals were built, the church became stranded on an island all on its own. The congregation declined over the years and the church was declared redundant and closed on the 1st of June 1995. The building has since sat derelict and is decaying naturally which is both sad to see and rather photogenic. The land it sits on is now owned by the Stobart Group and is a working port.

The Explore:

This is a spot that I’d seen around many times but never thought I’d end up going to. Some friends and I were in the area at the time so we thought we’d go and have a look around and see if we could get onto the perimeter where the church was. Given its location is plonk in the middle of an active port, we didn’t know what to expect but after less than two minutes of looking we found a way onto the site.

The church itself was really quite beautiful, its pollution darkened stonework juxtaposing quite brilliantly with the modern industrial units that have sprung up around it. Before long we were inside snapping away. I really enjoyed this explore, even though it was small. There were a lot of interesting little details for someone like me who enjoys walking around churches. Enjoy the photos!

Exteriors:

Interiors: