Church Of St Giles

Church of St Giles, St Giles in the Wood

This is a parish church of 15th-century origin, extensively rebuilt in 1862–3 with further works undertaken in 1879. It is constructed of local stone rubble laid to rough courses with sandstone ashlar detail, and has a slate roof with crested ridge tiles.

The church plan consists of a nave and chancel, with north and south aisles that do not extend the full length of the building. A vestry and organ chamber were added to the north side of the chancel in 1879. The church has north and south porches and a west tower. The 1862–3 rebuilding was extensive; only the tower and outer walls survived, though even these were heavily altered.

The west tower is of two storeys with low diagonal buttresses, an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles, and an internal stair. It has plain rectangular belfry windows. The west doorway is a two-centred arch with moulded surround; its granite jambs may be medieval. Above it is a two-light window with decorated tracery, hoodmould, and carved foliate label stops. Similar windows appear around the rest of the building. A clock was installed in the tower in 1879, positioned on the east side. The south side retains the remains of a 17th-century mural monument. Both porches are gabled with two-centred arch doorways on their east sides; the north porch is surmounted by a large carving of the Royal arms.

The interior is entirely 19th-century in character. The nave and aisles have open roofs carried on arch-braced trusses. The chancel roof is a panelled timber vault painted with angels and Evangelists. The tower arch is a tall two-centred arch with moulded surround and Norman-style nook shafts. The chancel arch has a moulded surround springing from moulded corbels. Each side of the nave contains five-bay arcades with cylindrical granite piers and moulded capitals. Both porches have full-height arches. A segmental arch opens from the chancel to the 1879 organ chamber. The walls are plastered except in the tower. The tile floor includes encaustic tiles in the chancel and contains several good 16th- and 17th-century graveslabs, some with brasses. Notable brasses commemorate Mary Rolle (died 1570) and Joanna Risdon (died 1610). The finest is a brass to Alyanora Pollard (died 1430).

The sanctuary is lined with Beerstone ashlar wainscotting featuring geometrical-pattern friezes of inlaid marble, and has a good carved alabaster reredos with a blind Gothic arcade featuring sacred emblems. The east window is flanked by marble Commandment boards framed with carved alabaster. The altar rail is brass. Oak stalls with some Gothic ornamentation are present. A low Beerstone wall serves as the chancel screen, with marble coping and incorporating a good marble pulpit complete with brass book rest and candle holders. A brass lectern and plain pine benches are also present. The font is Beerstone in Perpendicular style. A Gothic-style oak tower screen stands within the church. Circa 1987, part of the south aisle was screened off as a meeting room.

Monumental inscriptions include a good 17th-century monument in the north porch to Mary Risdon (date illegible), comprising an oval plaque flanked by pilasters with moulded entablature, swan-necked pediment surmounted by a heraldic cartouche, moulded sill on acanthus consoles, and carved apron. The south porch has marble memorials to Henry Ebberly (died 1710) and Henry Hale (died 1740). In the south aisle is the recumbent figure of Thomas Chafe (died 1648) with heraldic cartouches, all that remains of a 17th-century chest tomb; it was repainted circa 1985. The south aisle also includes a good inlaid marble and mosaic memorial to Mark George Kerr Rolle (died 1907).

All windows contain 19th-century stained glass, including grissaille glass installed to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.