Rare early photograph of Christ Church published by John Crow Twyman courtesy of Stephen Davies

We are pleased to pass on the information from one of our members that, after a prolonged period of closure, the beautiful Christ Church in Vale Square has reopened. Initially, this will be for six months and included, on April 13th, the Revd Dr Will Adam, Archdeacon of Canterbury, conducting a Palm Sunday service there.

The evangelical Anglican church opened in circa 1847. Funding for the church was raised through the efforts of Naval Lieutenant Hutchinson and George Gilbert Scott was commissioned as the architect. The pulpit and reredos date from 1869 and the lectern from 1885. The clock was added in the 1870s.

The origins of this Grade 2 listed building and the religious rivalry between the Anglicans and the Catholic influence of A W N Pugin on the West Cliff was the subject of a Ramsgate Society talk by Stephen Davies and is included in his book ‘The Vale’

The upcoming services in this initial series will be at 3pm on 11th May, 8th June and 13th July.

Terry Prue