Christ Church, Macclesfield

Christ Church, Macclesfield
Church from the southwest, 2014
Christ Church, Macclesfield Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°15′31″N 2°07′50″W / 53.2586°N 2.1305°W / 53.2586; -2.1305
OS grid reference	SJ 914 735
Location	Great King Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	14 April 1949
Architectural type	Church
Style	Georgian
Completed	1777
Specifications
Capacity	1,800
Materials	Brick with stone dressings Slate roof

Christ Church is a redundant Anglican church in Great King Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is open to visitors at advertised times. The church was in use until 1981. It remains consecrated and is used occasionally for services.

In the second half of the 18th century the parish church of Macclesfield, St Michael's was not big enough to cope with the needs of the growing population of the town. In 1772 David Simpson was appointed curate to the church but was deprived of his curacy because of his evangelical beliefs and preaching. Simpson had been invited to Macclesfield by Charles Roe, a local industrialist. Roe built Christ Church for David Simpson, who became its first vicar.

The body of the church was built in seven months in 1775 and the church was opened on Christmas Day of that year. The tower was built the following year. Its height is 107 feet (33 m) which is out of proportion to the body of the church. It was built to this height to compete with the height of the tower of St Michael's Church. The church originally contained a large pulpit. David Simpson was a close friend of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Unusually for an Anglican church, Simpson invited Wesley to preach there on at least 12 occasions. Christ Church was vested in the Trust on 1 June 1985.

A local group, The Roe-naissance Project, established in 2012 is working with The Churches Conservation Trust and Cheshire East Council to find a new appropriate and sustainable use for the building.