Christ Church stood at the junction of Park Street and King Street and was built in 1874 as a daughter church of St Mary’s. It was to cater for parishioners living in the developing Park District. It was designed by Ewan Christian, a well known ecclesiastical architect and it was planned to extend the building later as it was only two thirds of its intended size. However this never happened.
A decline in the number of clergy and congregation led to the newly appointed Rector, the Rev E.L. Langston to close the church in September 1939. The furnishings were given to the new St Aldhelm’s Church in Radipole and the building served as “Welcome Club” and later as a British Restaurant during the Second World War.
It was demolished in 1956/7 and after use as a car park, a block of flats called Garnet Court was built on the site.
In 1874 the foundation stone was laid by the Earl of Shaftesbury and Dean Close of Carlisle, a well known evangelical gave the address. Copies of contemporary newspapers were placed with the foundation stone and these were revealed when the building was demolished.
