Christ Church, Swindon

Christ Church is a Grade II* listed church in Cricklade Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It was built in 1851 to a design by George Gilbert Scott.^[1]

Christ Church, 1885

Christ Church

The church is one of two major buildings in Old Town, the other being the old town hall, a few minutes walk away.

The interior of the building was remodelled in 2017 to provide better access, a gas heating system and LED lighting. The nave pews were retained and secured with an innovative fixing system allowing them to be removed on occasion to provide more space for large events.

The church grounds also house a modern community centre which hosts a variety of events and activities.

Irish jockey Tommy Cullinan (1906–1940) is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in the grounds of Christ Church.^[2] In 1930, Cullinan became the first jockey to win the unofficial Triple Crown of National Hunt racing in a single season, riding the winning horse in each of the Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle.^[3]

There is a second church in the parish: St Mary's, a 20th-century building on The Mall, attached to a sheltered housing complex.^[4]