CHRIST CHURCH FENTON, HISTORY
Until the 19th century the Fenton area lay within the parish of Stoke.
The current Christ Church, in what is now called Christchurch Street, was built in 1838–9 and is now (2009) a grade 2 Listed Building
The original Anglican church built in what was Church Street to the design of Henry Ward and consecrated in 1839.
Ralph Bourne (d. 1835) left £3,500 to trustees (Lord Viscount Sandon, and the Rev R Bourne Baker) for the erection and maintenance of the church. Of this £1,000 was to be used as an endowment and the rest towards the building costs.
He also gave to his nephew, John Baker, two acres of land, upon an implied trust, for the site and cemetery.
Over £3,000 more was needed to erect the church, and this was provided by his sister Mrs. W. Baker (widow of the late Mr William Baker).
In 1841 a new parish was created covering both the Fenton townships except for the part already included in the new Longton parish.
The living was a perpetual curacy until 1868 when it became a titular vicarage. The right of presentation to the living at first lay with the bishop but was transferred in 1861 to William Baker, nephew of Ralph Bourne the founder of the church.
On William's death in 1865 it passed to his brother, the Revd. R. B. Baker, with whom it remained until he died in 1875.
It was in the hands of his executors and trustees until 1883 when it passed to his son William Meath Baker of Hasfield Court (Glos.)
William died in 1935, and the patronage then passed to the Rector of Stoke with whom it still remains. The benefice received a grant of £200 out of Queen Anne's Bounty in 1842.
The church of 1838–9, which stood on the east side of the present Christchurch Street, was a Gothic building of brick with stone dressings; it had an unaisled nave of five bays and two low structures flanking a west tower surmounted by angle pinnacles. The four-light east window was filled with stained glass. The interior, which contained about 1,000 sittings, was fitted with an organ and with galleries supported on iron pillars.
The original church was demolished because of subsidence caused by the nearby Glebe Colliery and replaced by a larger structure in 1890 the present CHRIST CHURCH, a larger building to seat 1,900 people, was erected on the same site.
It was designed by Charles Lynam (1829-1921) in the Decorated style and was built of red brick with stone dressings, with gothic doors and windows. Pevsner considers Christ Church, Fenton, to be "the magnum opus of Charles Lynam, however, only in size"
The interior is 66 feet in length, by 44 in width. At first it consisted of an aisled and clerestoried nave of six bays, a south chapel, a north organ chamber and north vestries, but in 1899 a tall west tower crowned with battlements and pinnacles of stone containing eight bells was added.
This has paired windows to the belfry stage and a line of white-brick arcading below an embattled parapet. Memorial tablets include one to William Baker (d. 1865), erected by his brother, the Revd. R. B. Baker, and evidently removed from the old church.
Its inscription states that William Baker 'built this church, vicarage house, and infant school, gave the organ, and augmented the living'.
The vicarage house was originally the square brick house at the end of Glebedale Road opposite the station, was called Glebedale House, where now stands Glebedale Court.
Baker's own house at the other end of Glebedale Road became the vicarage in the 1920's, but a house on the opposite side of the road from this is now (1960) being made into the vicarage.
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