St Giles' Church, Oxford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Giles' Church |
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| Parish Church of St Giles | |
St Giles' Church, looking north from the churchyard
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| Location | St Giles', Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Welcome to St Giles Oxford |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Edwin, son of Godegose |
| Dedication | Saint Giles |
| Consecrated | 1200 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Norman, Early English Gothic, Decorated Gothic |
| Years built | 1120 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Oxford |
| Archdeaconry | Oxford |
| Diocese | Oxford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Giles' Church is a historic church located in North Oxford, England. You can find it at the very top of a wide street called St Giles'. This is where it meets two other main roads, Woodstock Road and Banbury Road. The church is also near where Little Clarendon Street and Keble Road connect to these roads.
This church was built a long time ago, during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Oxford War Memorial is right next to the southern part of the churchyard.
Contents
How St Giles' Church Began
The church was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This was a famous survey ordered by William the Conqueror. It noted that the land owner north of Oxford planned to build a Norman church there.
The church was built for a person named Edwin, son of Godegose. It was finished in 1120. In 1139, Edwin gave the church and all its land to Godstow Abbey. This was a new Benedictine abbey located about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the church.
When it was built, St Giles' Church stood in open fields. It was about 550 yards (500 m) north of Oxford's old city wall. There were no other buildings between the church and the city wall. The church of St Michael at the North Gate stood inside the city walls. Around 1,000 people lived within Oxford's walls at that time.
Church Consecration and Fair
The church was officially made sacred, or consecrated, in 1200. This ceremony was performed by Saint Hugh, who was the Bishop of Lincoln.
You can still see a special mark from this event. It's a 13th or 14th-century consecration cross. It has circles cut into the western column of the bell tower. To remember this special day, the St Giles' Fair was started. This fair still happens today. It takes place on the Monday and Tuesday after the Sunday following September 1st, which is St Giles' Day. Saint Hugh also helped expand the St Mary Magdalen's Church to the south in 1194.
Old Parts of the Church Building
Some parts of the church from the 12th century are still here. These include two windows on the north side of the clerestory in the nave. The lower parts of the bell tower are also from this time.
The tower was finished in the early 13th century. This is also when the aisle arcades and Early English Gothic lancet windows were built. The Decorated Gothic chancel was added later in the 13th century.
Changes During the Reformation
During the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, Godstow Abbey gave St Giles' church to the King. This was a time when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries.
In 1542, the King gave St Giles' to Dr. George Owen. He was a doctor for King Henry VIII. In 1573, Dr. Owen's son, Richard Owen, sold the church. He sold it to Sir Thomas White, who was the Lord Mayor of London. Sir Thomas White had started St John's College in 1555. He then gave St Giles' Church to St John's College. Since then, St John's College has been in charge of choosing the church's vicar.
Two important vicars of St Giles' were William Juxon (1610-1615) and Thomas Turner (1624-1629). They were part of a religious movement called Laudianism.
English Civil War and Repairs
Monuments inside St Giles' Church include small statues of Henry Bosworth (who died in 1634), his wife Alice, and their three children. These statues were likely made for a tomb that no longer exists.
St Giles' church was damaged during the English Civil War. This was a war between the King's supporters (the Royalists) and Parliament's army (the Parliamentarians). Oxford was a Royalist stronghold and was attacked. John Goad, who was the vicar from 1644 to 1646, is said to have held services in St Giles' even during Parliament's attacks in 1645. The Bosworth tomb might have been destroyed during this war.
The church building only received small repairs in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, different parts of the building were fixed. The chapel on the south side of the chancel was partly rebuilt.
The Church Today
Oxford has grown a lot over time. So, St Giles' church is now more in the center of the city. As North Oxford grew and more people moved there, new church areas were created. These new areas were made from parts of the St Giles' parish.
New churches included St Philip and St James', which was made sacred in 1862. Also, St Margaret's was consecrated in 1883. St Giles' is still its own church area. However, it is now joined with the parishes of St Philip and St James and St Margaret. They form a united benefice, which means they share some resources and leadership.
Church Bells
The bell tower at St Giles' has a set of eight bells. These bells are used for Change ringing, a special way of ringing church bells.
The oldest bell is the tenor bell. It was made by Ellis Knight I in Reading in 1632. Five more bells were made by William Taylor in 1850. They were likely made at the Taylor family's bell-making workshop in Oxford. This was the same year that the rebuilding of St Giles' south chapel began. The newest bells are the treble and second bells. They were made in 1927 by Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London.
