Church Of St Giles

Church of St Giles, Grimsby

This is a parish church of considerable historical importance, with structures spanning from the 11th century to the mid-20th century. The building underwent major restoration and expansion in the 1950s.

The earliest element is an 11th-century Saxon-Norman tower with a round-headed west door featuring quoins, chamfered imposts and restored chamfered hoodmould. The west door is now blocked with a 20th-century inserted single-light round-headed window. A round-headed slit-light sits above. The south side of the tower contains an inserted 13th-century pointed doorway with two orders beneath a hoodmould with weathered headstops. The outer order has nook-shafts and a filleted arch; the inner order is chamfered. Above this is a blocked 13th-century pointed arch that incorporates chamfered ironstone imposts and voussoirs from an 11th-century style round arch. An 11th-century keyhole window with monolithic head is cut by a drip course marking a former addition south of the tower. A clockface sits above a string course. The stepped upper stage features belfry openings with twin round arches, monolithic heads, chamfered imposts and mid-wall shafts with ornate carved capitals decorated with volutes and leaves (similar to Sompting in Essex). The tower is topped with a plain ironstone parapet, which was rebuilt in 1656. The tower underwent restoration in 1921.

The church has a 13th-century south nave arcade with double-chamfered arches, a quatrefoil pier and corbelled responds — one corbel is carved as a head (to the east), the other features knotted cable work (to the west). A 13th-century south door was inserted into the tower.

Materials reflect different building phases: the lower tower section uses roughly coursed cobbles, chalk, limestone and ironstone rubble with dressed stone details, while the upper stage is squared limestone. The aisle and earliest nave sections are of ironstone and limestone ashlar with rubble. The chancel is constructed of banded ironstone ashlar with coursed dressed limestone rubble. All roofs are slate with ridge tiles.

The plan comprises a two-bay aisled nave with the west tower and a two-bay chancel with a north chapel and vestry adjoining. The chancel has a chamfered plinth and a pair of lancets to the south. A pointed two-light east window with 13th-century style tracery features filleted mullions and a hoodmould with carved stops. The north chapel has a segmental-headed two-light east window and a plain mullioned square-headed north window. The vestry features square-headed mullioned windows and a segmental-arched door. The north nave aisle, which continues from the north chapel, has restored pointed two-light north windows with Curvilinear tracery. At its west end is a segmental-arched door and a basket-arched two-light window with plain tracery. The south aisle has restored pointed three-light south windows with Perpendicular tracery. At its west end is a blocked pointed door with hoodmould, and immediately to its left a straight joint marks where the section adjoins the tower, with a corbel visible here.

The roof and east wall of the chancel date from 1859 restorations. In 1916, following a Zeppelin raid, the roof and windows underwent repairs. Between 1955 and 1958, architect TJ Rushton undertook major additions and alterations, including a new north nave arcade and aisle, and a new chancel with north chapel and vestry.

Interior features include a 19th-century pointed double-chamfered chancel arch with hoodmould and carved stops; the inner order rests on corbelled wall shafts. The east window is flanked by narrow blind arches in moulded surrounds with nook-shafts. The nave's south arcade, as noted above, has its original 13th-century character. A 20th-century north arcade of pointed double-chamfered arches dying into chamfered piers and responds complements the earlier work. The tall 11th-century tower arch comprises two plain orders with chamfered base and imposts, with a keyhole window above. A 20th-century gallery features a balustrade of twisted balusters, possibly reused from the 18th century.

The tower contains a small stoup on its north side. Another stoup, inscribed 1343, is reset below the west window; this was brought from the grounds of Scartho Hall. A Norman tub font with cable-moulded rim sits on a 1921 shafted base. The east window contains stained glass by AK Nicholson of Westminster. Fittings include 19th- and 20th-century wooden pews, pulpit and altar rails.

Notable monuments include a wall tablet to Elizabeth Howe dated 1851 with a carved shield. A glass case displays 15th-century Nottingham alabaster figure carvings discovered at Scartho in 1928, originally part of a reredos. These retain traces of paint and gilding and depict the Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration, Crucifixion, Assumption, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist.