Christ Church, High Harrogate is a parish church in the Church of England located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It was the first church building to be built in Harrogate and is today home to a thriving congregation and – along with the attached Parish Centre – an important focus of community activities.
History
Christ Church, High Harrogate was the first permanent church building in Harrogate, as Harrogate did not previously have a church of its own. Originally a chapel of ease to St John's, Knaresborough, the bulk of the present building was erected in 1831 to designs by the architect John Oates and consecrated as the first parish church in the town. The transepts and chancel were added in 1862 by Henry Francis Lockwood and William Mawson. The carving on the extensions and a previous reredos were executed by Mawer and Ingle in 1862.[2] There have been significant changes to the building in the 1920s (many major internal changes), the 1930s (the installation of the Comper reredos) and the 1980s (the building of the attached parish centre.).[citation needed]
Christ Church has in turn planted a series of other churches across the town including St. Peter's (1870), St Luke's (1898), and St Andrew's Starbeck (1911). Like Christ Church itself, all of these are thriving Christian communities today.[citation needed]
Present day
Christ Church is home to a thriving Christian community of 300+ adults and 170+ children and young people. It stands in the mainstream of the Anglican (Church of England) tradition.[citation needed]
2015 – Matthew Scott Evans (22 January 2015 – present)
This list is taken directly from the board at the west end of the church and all spellings are as on the board.
Organ
In 1908 a new organ by Norman & Beard was installed. It was rebuilt by John T. Jackson in 1980 with a new detached console. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[3]