Christ Church
Brampton Bierlow, Yorkshire
Christ Church is a splendid Victorian church, built in the decorated style in 1855, when the communities of Brampton and West Melton were growing fast with the expansion of coal mining.
Situated in a semi rural area between Rotherham and Barnsley, in the village of West Melton, it enjoys an area of green land which many churches would envy. The church also has an interesting graveyard, which is well worth a visit.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a group of Presbyterians opted out of the Church of England. They believed that Christians should join together and that congregations should organise themselves independent of state interference. They became known as Congregationalists and Independents. The church became part of the United Reformed Church in 1972.
The origins of non conformism and dissention from the Church of England are not very well documented. The first record of a Dissenters Meeting House in West Melton was in 1762, at the house of Joseph Bingley the younger. The second record of a Dissenters Meeting House was in 1796, registered at the house of William Linfitt. It was from this gathering that the Independent Chapel, worshipping in the Congregational manner, was founded in 1799.
The present church was founded 1796 and built in 1799. The church interior was based on the original puritan thinking, no stained glass or statues and little or no decoration. They were intended as Preaching Houses. There is a large gallery, installed shortly after the opening of the church.
The churchyard contains some interesting memorials. The oldest graves are to the west and date back to the 1820s.