St Giles' Church, Barrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Giles' Church, Barrow |
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St Giles' Church, Barrow, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SO 658 999 |
| Location | Barrow, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Broseley Parishes |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Giles |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Architect(s) | G. E. Street, Ewan Christian |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Neoclassical (porch), Gothic Revival (north chapel) |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone and brick, tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Linley with Willey and Barrow |
| Deanery | Telford Severn Gorge |
| Archdeaconry | Ludlow |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Giles' Church is a very old and important church located in a small village called Barrow, in Shropshire, England. It's an active church that belongs to the Anglican faith. This church is special because it's one of the oldest churches still standing in Shropshire. It even has the only part of a church built in the Anglo-Saxon style (a very early period of English history) in the whole county! The government has given it a special Grade I listing, which means it's a building of great historical importance.
Contents
History of St Giles' Church
St Giles' Church was first built as a small chapel for Wenlock Priory, which was a large monastery nearby. The oldest part of the church, called the chancel (the area around the altar), might have been built as early as the 8th century. However, it's more likely that it was built in the 11th century.
The main part of the church, called the nave, was built around the year 1100. This part was built in the Norman style and probably replaced an older wooden nave. Later in the 12th century, the lower sections of the church tower were added.
Over the years, the church changed. In 1705, a brick porch was built on the south side. During the 18th century, the top part of the tower was added, also made of brick, along with its pyramid-shaped roof.
The church underwent a big renovation between 1851 and 1852. This work was done by a famous architect named G. E. Street. Later, from 1894 to 1895, another architect, Ewan Christian, built a new chapel on the north side of the church. He also rebuilt the east wall of the chancel.
Church Architecture and Design
Exterior Features of the Church
Most of St Giles' Church is built from stone with tiled roofs. The only parts made of brick are the top of the tower and the south porch.
On the north wall of the chancel, you can still see an Anglo-Saxon window. There are also faint marks of what used to be a "strip pilaster," which is like a flat, narrow column built into the wall. On the south wall, there's a Norman doorway for the priest. This doorway was cut into an older window.
The nave has two Norman windows on its north wall and one window and a doorway on its south wall. The tower also has a Norman doorway on its west side and one Norman window. The east wall of the nave was built around the east "gable" (the triangular part of a wall under a sloping roof) of the chancel.
The south porch has a Neoclassical style. It's made of red brick with "rusticated quoins," which are large, rough-cut stones at the corners that stick out. The main doorway of the porch is round-headed and has a "keystone" (the wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch). On either side of the doorway, there are two round windows called "oculi." Inside the porch, you can find a stone basin called a "piscina," which was used for washing sacred vessels.
Interior Features of the Church
The arch that separates the chancel from the nave is Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning it's very old. However, it was changed a bit during the renovation by G. E. Street. The arch leading into the tower was originally the Norman west doorway of the nave before the tower was built.
If you look inside the tower, you'll see the "tympanum" of this arch. A tympanum is the space above a doorway, and here it's decorated with three rows of "saltire crosses" (X-shaped crosses) inside squares.
The "font," which is a large basin used for baptisms, is plain and round. It sits on a cylindrical base and likely dates back to the 12th century. The "pulpit," where the priest gives sermons, is made of timber and shaped like a drum. It has decorative panels with "tracery," which are patterns of curved lines.
The church also has a "poor box" from around 1690. This box, used for collecting donations, is mounted on a later stand. You can also see wall monuments inside the church that date from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
External Features of St Giles' Church
In the churchyard, there is a special tomb called a Neoclassical chest tomb. This is the tomb of John Rose, who was the person who started the famous Coalport China Works. He passed away in 1841. This tomb is also a listed building, at Grade II.
The cemetery at Barrow Church also contains the grave of a soldier from the Royal Artillery who fought in World War II. This grave is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, an organization that cares for the graves of military personnel.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Barrow, Shropshire
