St Giles' Church, Camberwell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Giles' Church, Camberwell
St Giles' Church, Camberwell
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OS grid reference	TQ3285376682
Country	England, United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	www.stgilescamberwell.org
History
Founded	Before 1089
Dedication	Saint Giles
Consecrated	21 November 1844 (1844-11-21) (present church)
Events	Old church burnt down 7 February 1841; Rebuilt 1844
Architecture
Heritage designation	Listed Grade II*
Architect(s)	Sir George Gilbert Scott (Moffatt and Scott)
Architectural type	Parish church
Style	Gothic Revival
Construction cost	£24,000
Specifications
Length	152 feet (46 m)
Spire height	210 feet (64 m)
Materials	Kentish ragstone originally faced with stone from Caen in Normandy and Sneaton in Yorkshire, later refaced with Portland stone
Administration
Parish	Camberwell St Giles with St Matthew
Deanery	Camberwell
Diocese	Southwark
Province	Canterbury

St Giles' Church, Camberwell, is a historic church in Camberwell, a part of London. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark. The church is part of the Church of England and is dedicated to Saint Giles. He is known as the patron saint of people with disabilities. A local story says that a well near Camberwell Grove might have given the area its name. This well might also be why the church was dedicated to Saint Giles.

History of St Giles' Church

The area around St Giles' Church was once much larger. It stretched from Boundary Lane in the north to Sydenham Hill in the south. An Anglo-Saxon church stood on this spot long ago. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. This first church was probably made of wood. It was surrounded by fields and forests.

Later, William FitzRobert, Earl of Gloucester, rebuilt the church using stone. Over the next 300 years, many changes and additions were made. By the 1700s, the church was very full. It had many box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas.

The nave of the Church of Saint Giles, Camberwell

On February 7, 1841, a big fire destroyed most of the old church. It started because of a faulty heating system. The wooden pews and galleries helped the fire spread quickly. The heat was so strong that stained glass melted, and stone turned to dust.

Right after the fire, a competition was held to find an architect for a new church. Fifty-three designs were submitted. The winning design came from the firm of Scott and Moffat. St Giles' was one of the first major Gothic buildings designed by George Gilbert Scott. He later became famous for designing St Pancras Station and the Albert Memorial.

The new church was officially opened on November 21, 1844. The Bishop of Winchester led the ceremony. The church was built in a cruciform (cross) shape. It has a central tower topped with an eight-sided spire that is 210 feet (64 meters) tall. Much of the stone used for the outside came from Caen in Normandy. However, by the 1870s, most of this stone had to be removed. It was decaying because of pollution in the London air. George Gilbert Scott realized his mistake. He paid to have the church refaced with Portland stone, which was much better for London's weather.

St Giles' Church was damaged during the Second World War. Many of its beautiful stained-glass windows were destroyed. About 100 years after the church was refaced, stone began to fall from the spire. Large cracks appeared, threatening its structure. In June 2000, the top 72 feet (22 meters) of the spire were taken down. It was then rebuilt at a cost of £1,000,000.

Architecture and Interior Design

St Giles' Church has a cruciform shape, like a cross. It has transepts (the arms of the cross) with pointed roofs. The main part of the church, called the nave, has a clerestory (upper windows). It also has lower aisles with five sections and gabled entrance porches. Inside, the roof has arch-shaped supports. Where the nave and transepts meet, there is a special vaulted ceiling. The nave has columns that are alternately round and eight-sided. These columns have decorative tops called capitals. The south transept is used as the Lady Chapel. The north transept holds the church organ.

Chancel of St Giles' Church

The church has some interesting old features from the medieval church. These include a sedilla (seats for clergy) and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). These date back to the 1300s and are found in the Lady Chapel. Another part of the old church can be seen in the former vicarage garden. A medieval porch stands there. This porch originally held the sedilla and piscina, which were moved into the rebuilt church in 1916. Today, the medieval porch is used to store bins for a local youth club.

Beneath the church is a 300-year-old crypt. This is an underground area. The original graves and tombs were moved. The rooms were then updated to house 'The Camberwell Samaritans'. This group helps homeless men in the area. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, opened the crypt in its new role in February 1962. The Camberwell Samaritans later became the St Giles Trust. This charity still helps people in Camberwell today. The crypt itself is now used for arts events and as a jazz club.

St Giles' Church also has beautiful stained-glass windows. In the chancel, there is a window made by Lavers & Barraud. The windows in the transepts were designed by William Morris. Sadly, these were destroyed during wartime bombing. They have been replaced with new glass designed by Ninian Comper.

The large East Window was designed by John Ruskin and Oldfield. Ruskin was a local art historian and supporter of the Pre-Raphaelite art movement. He lived in Camberwell. This window shows many scenes from the Bible, from the Creation to the End of Time. Ruskin visited medieval French cathedrals like Chartres to get ideas for his designs. The glass was made by the English company Ward and Nixon. The West window was also made by Ward & Nixon. It includes some pieces of glass from the 1200s.

Plaque to Charles Masterman and his wife Lucy

On the north side of the church, there is a plaque. It remembers Charles Masterman (1873–1927) and his family. Charles Masterman helped create the National Health Insurance system. This was an early version of the NHS, which provides healthcare for everyone in the UK.

The Church Organ

The organ at St Giles' is very important historically. It was designed by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Before he became a famous organist and composer, Wesley was the organist at the old St Giles' church for several years. After the 1841 fire, Wesley returned to design the new organ in 1844. He also played it at its first public performance.

The organ has three keyboards (manuals). It was built by James Chapman Bishop. His company, Bishop & Son, started in 1807. It is one of the oldest organ builders still working in the country. Bishop & Sons still maintains the St Giles' organ today. The organ was repaired in 1890 and again in 1960. It still uses its original mechanical 'tracker' action. However, since 1960, it has been operated with an electro-pneumatic system.

Organ Restoration in 2015

In 2015, St Giles' Church started a big fundraising effort. They aimed to raise £500,000 to fix and restore the organ. Much of the electrical system from the 1960s was broken. The organ's pipes also needed a lot of repair. To help raise money, the Director of Music and organist, Ashley Valentine, tried to set a world record. In June 2015, he attempted the "longest marathon church organ playing."

Church Bells

St Giles' has a set of ten bells. They were made in 1844 by the Mears company at the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The largest bell, called the Tenor, weighs 1 ton and 4 cwts. This is about 1,220 kilograms.

Worship Services

St Giles' Church follows the Catholic tradition within the Church of England. There are two services on Sundays. A quiet service is held at 8:00 am. A sung Parish Mass is held at 10:00 am. There are also other services throughout the week.