Church Of St Giles

Church of St Giles, South Mimms

Parish church with origins in the 13th century, substantially developed over subsequent centuries and significantly restored in the Victorian period. The chancel dates from the 13th century, the nave from the late 14th or early 15th century, and the tower from the mid-15th century. The north aisle and chapel were built pursuant to the will of H. Frowyk, who died in 1527. The church underwent extensive refenestration, refacing of all but the tower, south porch and much of the interior by the architect G.E. Street in 1877–8.

The exterior is constructed of split flint rubble with stone dressings, except for the red brick north aisle and chapel, which is covered with a tiled roof. The chancel has a steeply pitched roof with a ridge taller and eaves lower than the nave. It features a traceried 3-light east window and diagonal buttresses. The south wall has one 2-light traceried window flanked by buttresses, an entrance with chamfered pointed surround, and a low side window with cusped trefoil head.

The nave's south wall contains two 2-light traceried windows and three unevenly spaced buttresses, with an embattled parapet. The timber south porch stands on a stone base, comprising 2 bays with traceried headed openings, leaded lights in the outer bay, and an arch braced roof with cusped bargeboards. The south entrance has a pointed arch with hollow moulded jambs.

The west tower rises in three stages with angle buttresses. The west entrance features a nail-studded door under a pointed arch with moulded jambs, above which is a 3-light window with 4-centred head. The second stage has a clock to the west and a single cinquefoiled light with square head to the south. The third stage has three similar 2-light windows. An embattled parapet crowns the tower. A south-east stair turret with slit windows has a semi-octagonal upper stage broached to the south-east.

The north aisle has a ridge taller than the nave, comprising 4 bays separated by buttresses. The north wall has 3 square-headed windows to the east, each with 3 cinquefoiled lights, and a similar window on the west gable end wall. The north chapel has 2 bays with a lower ridge, similar windows and buttresses.

Interior features include a tower arch with semi-octagonal responds to a 2-centred arch with hollow chamfered orders. A 15th-century plank and batten door leads to the stair turret. The 4-bay north aisle arcade has octagonal piers and 4-centred arches. Remains of a rood stair and entrance to a wall passage survive in a recess of the east window in the nave's south wall. A 2-bay arcade connects the chancel to the north chapel, with an octagonal pier and responds supporting 4-centred arches. The chancel's south wall contains a piscina with trefoiled head.

The nave and chancel roof dates from 1877 with a ceiled east end. The north aisle and chapel retain a plain 16th-century roof with chamfered beams, painted in the chapel. At the west end of the nave are 2 16th-century linenfold bench ends with moulded capping, which served as the model for Street's seating.

The font, dating from the 13th or 14th century, comprises a plain square bowl with an octagonal stem featuring traceried panels on four sides and four ringed shafts that also support the bowl. A gilt font cover was added by N. Comper in 1938.

A 13th or 14th-century hutch-type chest features foliate carved feet and remains of panelled ornament, with rosettes in cusped rails. An early 16th-century screen to the north chapel has 10 bays to the aisle and 16 to the chancel, with a closed base and open panels above featuring steeply gabled crocketed and cusped heads. Two entrances have carved ogee heads and Frowyk's leopard's head ornament. The rood screen, lectern and pulpit were designed by Street. A canopy over a 19th-century statue on the east respond of the north aisle arcade was added by N. Comper.

Monuments in the chancel's north wall commemorate H. Frowyk the Elder, dated c.1540, representing an early conjunction of Perpendicular and Renaissance styles. The chest tomb features quatrefoiled panels and a central niche to the front, ogee-headed panels to the east, and a 4-centred arched canopy with quatrefoiled panelled soffit supported by four enriched balusters on ringed shafts.

The north chapel's north wall bears a monument to H. Frowyk the Younger, dated c.1530–40, in similar form but pure Perpendicular style. The chest tomb displays four shields of arms on a multifoiled panelled front, leopards' heads in quatrefoils on the sides, and a 4-centred arch to the canopy with a vaulted panelled soffit. Four ringed corner shafts with terminals rise above the canopy. An effigial armoured figure lies on the chest, with head on helmet and feet on lion.

The chancel's south wall contains 17th-century wall slabs. The nave's south wall features an early 17th-century wall slab with sarcophagus below an enriched panel containing a recessed skull in a strapwork cartouche, surmounted by an aedicular 18th-century slab. Brasses are located in the chancel, north chapel, nave and tower floors.

Stained glass in the north aisle windows and west window of the north chapel depicts kneeling figures in civil costume, inscribed with the date 1526.