The present Christ Church replaced the smaller original Church opened in September 1860 (which later became the Parish Centre and Council & Citizens Advice offices and can still be seen to the south of the present Church).
Christ Church is one of three Churches in the area designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield (son of a Bishop of London) and was opened on Thursday 13th May 1875, consecrated on 20th November 1884. It was designed in an early English architectural style.
Christ Church was designed as a statement as part of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England.
The Oxford Movement began in the early 1830s as an intellectual movement. It started from one of the best tenets of the Reformation, namely the use of reason and intellect. From there, the use of reason led to the recovery of the doctrine of the Church of England as part of the catholic Church throughout the world.
Later the recovery of the use of ceremonial in worship (movement, colour, light, vestments, incense, statues etc) was part of the Oxford Movement's contribution to parish life. Later still, the pastoral dimension of the Oxford Movement followed (which in the late 19th Century onwards saw many famous priests influenced by this movement working in very difficult parishes).
The present Christ Church owes much to the vision of Father Charles Lyndhurst Vaughan. Father Vaughan oversaw the building of a Church to convert souls and to be the springboard for catholic mission and evangelism to its parish and beyond.
He employed Sir Arthur Blomfield as architect of the Church, which was completed (without its spire) in the 1880s. There were no pew rents in Fr Vaughan's new Church so as to be as inclusive as possible and to embody the gospel message which he so desired to spread.
Subsequent parish priests, in line with our founding father, have shared and developed this same vision in response to their own times and people's changing needs, catering for their people and those who live in the parish from the cradle to the grave and beyond. For example, in the 1930's the Fellowship of St Nicholas was founded
Christ Church House Improvement Society began life within the Parish. One of the key projects was the building of St.Richard's House (block of flats)in Pevensey Road on the site of 2 bombed out properties, this was completed and opened in the early 1950s.
The parish also ran an old people's home (Our Lady's House) for over 50 years.
In the 1980's the ‘Surviving Christmas' charity was founded by a former Churchwarden.
During 2002 the former school building was reopened as our Parish Centre. A rectory was also built on site.
In 2012 our parish extended to incorporate the parishes of St Peter & St Paul, St. Leonards on Sea.
We celebrated 150 years of worship at Christ Church in 2025. Preserving our Church building for the future is part of the Heritage Project.
