Church poised to toast 200th '˜birthday'

A Liversedge church is putting the finishing touches to its bicentenary celebrations later this month.
Christ Church is preparing to mark its 200th anniversary.Christ Church is preparing to mark its 200th anniversary.
Christ Church is preparing to mark its 200th anniversary.

Christ Church will celebrate its 200th anniversary on the weekend of September 17 and 18.

On the Saturday the church will be open to visitors to view exhibits and photographs (9.30am-4pm).

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Then on the Sunday a celebration service takes place at 10am.

Church warden Michael Barker recalled the history of the building.

He said: “Founder Reverend Hammond Roberson had the church built before it opened in 1816.

“After Roberson’s wife died in 1810, when he was incumbent at Hartshead, he decided to build a church at Liversedge in her memory and he commissioned Mr. Thomas Taylor of Leeds as Architect.

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“The foundation stone was laid on December 9, 1812 and the church was finally consecrated on August 29, 1816 having cost Roberson £7,474. 11s. 10d.

“In 1818, thanks to Roberson’s energy and enthusiasm for education, a National School was built at Hightown.

“Much later, in 1968, it was found to be unsafe and a new school was built on Headlands Road, to be called Hightown Church of England School.

“This has retained the close link with the church that Roberson first started, although it is now know as Headlands Junior, Infant and Nursery Church of England School.”

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