Church Of Christ

The Church of Christ, formerly a Unitarian church, was built between 1789 and 1790 by Thomas Stringer for the Misses Alsager. It is constructed of yellow Keuper sandstone and is a building of group value. The church has a western tower, a nave and an apsidal chancel.

The western front features a central, slightly projecting tower flanked by blank walling. Clasping pilaster buttresses rise to a frieze and pediment on the front and tower corners. The central double doors have raised and fielded panels and feature a fanlight. Flanking the doors are Tuscan demi-columns supporting a frieze and pediment topped by an acroterion. Above, the clock stage has a round clock face set in a recessed rectangular panel with an arched top, while the belfry stage has paired Ionic pilasters and a round-arched, louvred opening with a projecting keystone, moulded springers, and Y-tracery. A dentil cornice sits above a balustrade. The clock and belfry stages are similarly arranged on the other three sides.

The south face has six bays divided by ashlar pilasters with moulded bases and caps, standing on plain plinths. Window openings have round-arched heads with moulded springers and hood moulds. One south window retains intersecting glazing bars; the others have been replaced with stained glass. A doorway, now blocked and replaced with a window above, is located in the second bay from the left. The north side is similar, with a doorway in the second bay from the right. The eastern end has blank walling flanking the semi-circular apsidal chancel which has three curving bays and blank half-bays near the corners. Originally, ashlar urns decorated with foliage stood on the piers of the balustrade atop the nave and tower, but these have been removed, with two remaining in the churchyard.

Inside, a gallery at the west end has raised and fielded panelling to the front, supported on two monolithic Tuscan columns. Similar raised and fielded panelling extends to dado height in the nave and chancel, where it is divided by fluted pilasters and has rinceau ornament on the upper panels. A frieze runs at window springing level, and the ceiling is coved.