Church Of St Giles

Church of St Giles

Anglican parish church built in 1844–5 by James Thomson, incorporating a few surviving elements from the previous church which dated from the 12th to 15th centuries. The building is constructed in ashlar with stone slate roofs and coped gables.

The church comprises a nave, north porch, north-east tower and spire, south aisle, and a transeptal south-east 'chantry'. It is designed in Perpendicular style with a moulded plinth and diagonal buttresses. The west end has twin gables with large 4-centred arched windows: five lights to the nave and three lights to the aisle. The nave's north wall features a gabled porch, within which the church's north door retains an original circa 1200 chevron arched-head surround with two columns and scallop capitals, now heavily restored; the door itself dates to the 19th century.

The three-stage tower rises to the left with diagonal buttresses and an east stair projection extending up to the base of the bell-stage, which has flat-headed 2-light windows, battlements, and a recessed octagonal broach spire. The south aisle has a buttressed south wall with a single small central 2-light pointed window featuring an octofoil head. The chancel contains two north cusped lancets and a 3-light east window, with a similar lancet to the south. The projecting transept has a coped south gable, an east-side gable above a 3-light Perpendicular window, and at its south end a small spherical triangle upper light opening to a gallery; the west side has a door accessing the gallery stairs.

Interior

The nave retains its original 15th-century arch-braced collar rafter roof, while the remainder of the church has similar 19th-century roofs with more elaborate intersections at the transept and aisle junction and the transept and chancel junction. The nave features a much-restored circa 1200 three-bay arcade of circular piers with 2-chamfer pointed arches and carved head corbels on the end piers. An original moulded pointed arch on the north side rises to the tower. The octagonal font appears original but has been retooled with an added inscription band and wooden cover. A timber 15th-century screen, restored, survives with vine carving in its cornice and traceried head to the centre opening; it contains five panels on each side. A plain Tudor-arched chancel arch and arches at the east end of the aisle and north end of the chantry complete the arcade features. The south aisle roof is carried on carved corbels. The chantry has north-facing pews and a schoolchildren's gallery at its south end. The chancel features elaborate carved stone east-end panelling, partly framing the east window with canopied corner niches and large statues of St John the Baptist and St Mary Magdalene.

Fittings and Monuments

A carved stone almsbox is similar to that at Leigh Delamere. The 19th-century pews have finely carved bench ends by W.H. Rogers; the chancel contains a row of stalls. The stained glass is of fine quality by T. Wilmshurst, particularly the east window, whilst the others generally feature stained glass only to their heads.

Numerous reset monuments include: in the chancel on the south wall, a fine carved and painted kneeling figure in a niche to Charles Gore (died 1628, aged 6), depicted in contemporary adult costume; under an arch to the chantry, a 15th-century Perpendicular-style altar tomb to Thomas Gore (died 1532). On the north wall, a brass plaque in a carved frame of 1641 commemorates the five children of Charles Gore who died in infancy, and a painted stone Baroque pedimented plaque records Thomas Gore (died 1684). The floor contains numerous slabs to the Gore family, including one in white marble to Walter (died 1712) and two brass plates to Elizabeth (died 1641) and Lydia (died 1654). In the transept, a wall plaque commemorates Charles Gore (died 1697). In the south aisle, a carved stone frame surrounds brass plaques to Ann and William James (died 1636 and 1637) and a late 18th-century marble plaque to W. Hodges (died 1757).