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S. Michael and All Angels, Oxford Terrace
The Anglican church of S. Michael and All Angels stands on the site of the first church built by the Canterbury Association settlers on the Canterbury Plains in 1851. Today the site contains a number of historic buildings designed by leading Canterbury architects.
The present church, the third on the site, was designed by W F Crisp and consecrated in 1872. The outstanding timber interior of the church contains a significant collection of Victorian and Edwardian memorial stained glass windows by the leading English stained glass firms of the day and a number of items contained in the church (such as the stone font), came out in the first four ships in 1850. S. Michael's was the pro-Cathedral from 1856 until 1881.
A Christchurch landmark, the S. Michael's bell tower was designed by pre-eminent Gothic Revival architect, Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort. Erected in 1861, the tower houses a bell brought out with the Canterbury Association settlers on one of the first four ships. The bell was the settlement's first time piece and was rung every hour of daylight.
Other historic buildings on the site include the Gothic Revival inspired school hall, designed by the first Education Board architect Thomas Cane in 1877, and the stone school building, Collegiate Gothic in style, which was designed by noted Canterbury architect Cecil Wood in 1913.
The church is open to visitors Monday to Friday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm at weekends October to April.
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This was originally derived from the Christchurch City Council handbook of 1998.
