I've never visited my local church, but this fairly plain exterior apparently hides extravagent 'high church' internal decoration. The London-based architect, Henry Martin, is reported to have never visited Lancaster himself, instead taking inspiration from the twin spires of St. Katherine's Hospital Chapel in Regent's Park.

The land was donated by Samuel Gregson MP, who also funded the construction (£3,000) and laid the foundation stone in 1855. Incidentally, the vicarage returned the favour by raising funds for the Gregson Centre in memory of Gregson's brother Henry, himself Lancaster's mayor, in 1885.
The church opened in 1857 and is now Grade II Listed.

It was originally built to serve the nearby Workhouse – the north transept was originally reserved for the inhabitants (or were they restricted to that area?) – but also accommodated pupils of the then-recently-relocated grammar school.
By 1873 housing had encroached into the semi-wooded area around Wyresdale Road, so a new parish was established, centred on Christ Church, and the building was extended; for example, the baptistry, by Austin and Paley, was added in 1895.