Church Of St Giles

An Anglican parish church with 12th-century origins, substantially rebuilt and enlarged in the mid-14th century, with significant 19th-century restoration work undertaken by John Middleton from 1869 to 1872.

The church comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, south chapel, and porch. The nave south wall is constructed of rubble and coursed squared and dressed limestone, with random ashlar towards the top suggesting partial rebuilding. The nave north wall and south chapel were refaced in rock-faced limestone during the 19th century. The chancel is of rock-faced limestone, whilst the tower is of ashlar. The roof is covered in red tiles.

The nave south wall features a 2-light window with a hollow-chamfered mullion, cinquefoil-headed lights, and Perpendicular tracery positioned to the left of the porch. The porch itself conceals a 19th-century double door with decorative hinges within a 4-centred arched surround featuring a cusped outer arch and a casement-moulded surround above waist height. An angel corbel, probably not in its original position, sits above. The nave north wall is buttressed by four 19th-century buttresses with offsets and is lit by three tall 19th-century 2-light windows with Perpendicular-style tracery and hoods with carved head stops.

The 19th-century chancel has two 3-light windows with tracery and hoods with carved head stops on the north side, diagonal buttresses, and a 3-light window with tracery at the east end. The south chapel, built around 1340 by Sir Thomas Berkeley, features a pointed 2-light east window with reticulated tracery, a moulded hood, and carved head stops. The south wall of the chapel contains, from right to left: a window matching the east window; a small low-side window consisting of a quatrefoil with ball-flower decoration on its chamfered outer margin and a deep moulded hood with carved head stops; a 2-light window with quatrefoil upper left and moulded hood with carved head stops, one badly eroded; a plank door with decorative hinges within a flat-chamfered 4-centred arched surround; and a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and hood with plain stops. A short length of dripmould, probably reused, runs along the west end with a reused plain corbel below.

The probably contemporary gabled porch of the south chapel features a single diagonal buttress and a double doorway comprising a network of fillets imitating Perpendicular-style tracery within a double-chamfered pointed-arched surround. A lion's head gargoyle sits to the right, with three large quatrefoils on the left-hand return.

The two-stage Perpendicular tower has diagonal buttresses bearing the Berkeley arms and a moulded plinth. A projecting stair turret on the south side carries a large incised sundial with a metal gnomon, dated and initialled 'P.C. 1693' (Paul Castleman) at its top. A Perpendicular 3-light window with a casement-moulded surround is located at the west end. The belfry features a 2-light window with stone louvres. A moulded string separates the two stages. The parapet is battlemented with a moulded string featuring grotesques at each corner, and stepped coping runs to the gable ends. Upright cross finials stand at the gable end of the nave and south chapel, with only a stump remaining at the chancel gable end.

The plastered interior features facetted roof trusses to the nave. The 2-bay chancel has 19th-century arch-braced principals rising from angel corbels with 2 quarter bays at either end. The south aisle or chantry chapel has a 19th-century wagon roof rising from 19th-century foliate corbels with a moulded ridge purlin.

The flooring consists of flagstones in the nave, with small square 19th-century flags elsewhere and green glazed encaustic tiles at the edges. A 19th-century Early English-style chancel arch features engaged columns with ornate foliate capitals and a hood with carved head stops. Matching rere arches light the nave and chancel windows. The tower arch is Perpendicular with a casement moulding. The nave is divided from the south aisle and chantry chapel by two 19th-century Early English-style arches, with a single similar archway connecting the chancel to the chapel.

An ornate 19th-century stone reredos is decorated with blind Perpendicular-style tracery and a vine scroll frieze. The frieze continues over the heart burial of Sir Giles Berkeley in the south wall, comprising a trefoil-headed niche with a gable supported on small engaged columns within which is a mandorla of a knight partially blocking a further niche. The frieze continues over a square niche in the north wall containing a 15th-century carved stone crucifixion, probably originally placed in the porch.

The furnishings include an early 18th-century communion table, two 19th-century seats made from reused pews with linenfold panelling, and 19th-century wooden communion rails with pierced tracery. A late 18th-century pulpit features blind arcading and lozenge decoration in relief with a barley-twist railing leading to its steps. A 19th-century reading desk with blind tracery and a 19th-century octagonal limestone font positioned inside the south door are also present. Six wrought iron hanging paraffin lamps light the nave.

The south chapel contains a trefoil-headed piscina in the south wall towards the west. A cusped tomb recess in the lower right holds the recumbent figure of a young man in civilian dress. The low-side window formerly had a hinged door inside which hung a bell rung during mass. Remains of a 16th-century brass now retain only one heraldic shield associated with the Brydges family.

A single piece of 12th-century chevroned stonework is reused on the north wall. Three recumbent carved stone figures are visible: the tomb of Lady Joan Berkeley, wife of Sir Thomas Berkeley and later wife of Sir Richard Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London; the tomb of Sir Thomas Berkeley, who rebuilt the church, depicted in knight's armour with legs crossed; and the recumbent effigy of a small girl, probably a daughter of the Berkeleys. All three tombs lie on a 19th-century raised limestone plinth. A monument at the west end of the chapel commemorates Mary, daughter of Jonathan Burford, by his wife Alice, relict of Paul Castlemain of Coberley, who died in 1717. It also records Charles Castelmain (died 1682) and Jane Castelmain (died 1712), and features a broken segmental pediment containing a heraldic shield, freestanding columns with Corinthian capitals flanking the inscription panel, and a heraldic shield at the base flanked by cherubs' heads.

The chancel contains 19th-century stained glass.