 Following a study tour of Italy in 1837 Christian went into the office of John Brown (c.1806–76) in Norwich and supervised the construction of Brown's St Margaret's Church at Lee in Lewisham and his Colchester Union Workhouse (here Christian's close scrutiny of the work so irritated the labourers that they deliberately caused a drain to burst in order to discredit him).In 1841 he designed his first independent building, the Marylebone Savings Bank, perhaps commissioned through local and family connections.Between 1841 and 1842 Christian embarked on a long continental study tour in company with other young architects who were to remain lifelong friends and following this he established his own architectural practice in October 1842 at 44 Bloomsbury Square, London, where he also lived (he later moved across to the former home of Isaac D'Israeli, father of the famous Prime Minister, on a corner of the square).