St Giles-without-Cripplegate Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Giles-without-Cripplegate
The west tower of St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Location	London, EC2
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	http://www.stgileschurch.com
History
Founded	1394
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Administration
Parish	St Giles' with St Luke's
Diocese	London

St Giles-without-Cripplegate is an Anglican church in the City of London. You can find it on Fore Street, right inside the modern Barbican complex. The church's name, "without Cripplegate," means it was built outside the old London Wall near the Cripplegate gate.

The church is named after St Giles, who is known as the patron saint for people with disabilities or illnesses. This church is special because it's one of the few medieval churches in the City of London that survived the terrible Great Fire of London in 1666.

A Look at the Church's Past
- Building the Church We See Today
- Surviving Fires and Bombs
Famous People Connected to St Giles
Exploring the Church's Inside
Images for kids
See Also

A Look at the Church's Past

There was a church here even before the current one. An Anglo-Saxon church stood on this spot in the 11th century. By 1090, a Norman church had taken its place.

Building the Church We See Today

The church you see now was rebuilt in 1394. It was designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular during the time of King Richard II. The stone tower was added much later, in 1682.

Surviving Fires and Bombs

St Giles-without-Cripplegate has faced serious damage from fire three times. It was badly burned in 1545 and again in 1897. The church also suffered a lot during the Blitz in the Second World War. German bombs completely destroyed the inside of the church.

But St Giles was rebuilt! Workers used the original plans from the 1545 reconstruction to restore it. In 1954, a new set of twelve bells was made for the church. Another bell was added in 2006. The old pews, altar, and font (a basin for baptisms) came from a nearby church, St Luke Old Street. They were moved to St Giles when St Luke's closed and the two church areas joined together in 1959.

Tower of Church of St Giles, Cripplegate, and Old Houses in Fore Street, 1884 by Philip Norman

Because of its history and importance, the church was named a Grade I listed building on January 4, 1950. This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.

Famous People Connected to St Giles

Many interesting people from history have connections to St Giles-without-Cripplegate. Some were buried here, while others were married or had their children baptised here.

The chancel of the Church of St Giles Cripplegate

John Foxe (died 1587): He wrote a famous book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs. He was buried in the church.
Sir Martin Frobisher (died 1595): A brave captain who fought against the Spanish Armada. He was also buried here.
Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658): A very important military leader who later became the Lord Protector of England. He got married to Elizabeth Bourchier in this church in 1620.
John Milton (died 1674): A famous writer, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost. He was buried in the church.
John Bunyan (1628–1688): The author of The Pilgrim's Progress, a well-known Christian story. He attended the church.
Daniel Defoe (1660–1731): The writer of the famous adventure story Robinson Crusoe. He lived in the area and died in the parish.
Rick Wakeman (born 1949): A famous keyboard player, known for his work with the band Yes. He recorded music using the church's pipe organ.

Exploring the Church's Inside

St Giles-without-Cripplegate has many interesting features inside. Here's a quick guide to some of them:

Interior of St Giles Cripplegate

The north aisle of the church

John Milton's Burial Place: The famous writer John Milton was buried here in 1674.
The Altar: This altar came from St. Luke's, Old Street. It was moved here in the 1960s.
The East Window: This beautiful window was designed by the Nicholson Studios. It follows the look of the church's original medieval window.
Historic Treasures: You can see a display cabinet that holds many historic items from Cripplegate.
John Foxe's Burial Place: The author of "The Book of Martyrs" is buried in the church.
Plaque for Sir Martin Frobisher: A special plaque remembers Sir Martin Frobisher, the famous explorer and sea captain.
Statue of John Milton: There is a statue of John Milton created by Horace Montford.
The Organ: The church's organ also came from St. Luke's, Old Street.
Busts of Famous Authors: You can see busts (sculptures of heads and shoulders) of Daniel Defoe (who wrote "Robinson Crusoe") and John Milton.
Busts of Cromwell and Bunyan: There are also busts of Oliver Cromwell and John Bunyan, who wrote "Pilgrim's Progress."
The West Window: This window shows the coats of arms (symbols) of important people like the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, Milton, Cromwell, and Frobisher.
The Font: The font used for baptisms also came from St. Luke's Church.
The Cripplegate Window: This window celebrates 100 years of The Cripplegate Foundation, a charity.