St Giles Church, Durham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Giles Church
St Giles Church, Durham
Location	Durham, County Durham
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Tradition	Central
Website	http://www.stgilesdurham.org.uk
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Years built	c.1112
Specifications
Number of towers	One
Administration
Diocese	Durham (since 1000)
Province	York

St. Giles Church is a very old and important church located in Gilesgate, County Durham, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's recognized as a building of exceptional historical interest. The church was started in 1112 by a bishop named Ranulf Flambard. It was originally built as a chapel for a hospital nearby, which was also named St. Giles.

The Church's Long History

How St. Giles Church Began

The church was built as a chapel for the Hospital of St Giles. This hospital was located just outside the city walls. On June 1112, on a day called St Barnabas' Day, Bishop Flambard officially opened the church. He dedicated it to God and to St Giles. A person named Godric of Finchale worked here as a doorkeeper before he became a hermit.

A Time of Conflict (1140)

In 1140, the church became part of a big argument. This argument was about who should be the bishop of Durham. A man named William Cumin tried to take over the role of bishop. The real bishop, William of St. Barbara, had to hide and make the church a strong place. This happened after Cumin's men stopped him from entering Durham. In response, Cumin's men destroyed the hospital. It was later rebuilt in a new place called Kepier.

Expanding the Church (1180)

In 1180, another bishop named Bishop Puiset made the church bigger. He added the chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is. He did this because more people were living in the area. The font, which is used for baptisms, is thought to be from this time. The church was connected to Kepier Hospital. The hospital acted as the rector, meaning it received money and could choose the vicar. The vicar was the priest who looked after the people in the parish.

Later Changes and Important People

Over the years, more building and repair work happened in the 1200s and 1400s. John Heath, who owned the Kepier estates, Gilesgate, and Old Durham in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, is buried in the church.

In 1852, the area that St Giles Church served was divided. A new area called Belmont was created. This new area got its own church, St Mary Magdalene, in Belmont. It covered places like Belmont, Gilesgate Moor, and New Durham.

Modern Restorations and Features

St Giles Church still has some parts from Bishop Flambard's original building. This includes most of the north wall. It also has many parts that Bishop Puiset added. In 1828, some small repairs were done, and three large windows were put into the south wall. The church was repaired and made bigger again between 1873 and 1876. This was because the number of people in the area kept growing. The organ, which is a musical instrument, was built in 1882 by a company called Harrison & Harrison.

The church has a special war memorial. It remembers the 67 people from the area who died or went missing in the First World War. There are three bells in the church tower. They hang from a metal beam that was put in place in 1964. The old wooden frames for the bells are probably from the late Middle Ages or soon after.

The current vicar of St Giles is The Revd Canon Dr Alan B. Bartlett, who started in Summer 2008. The Rev’d Abbey Hughes is the curate, who helps the vicar.

Images for kids

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  St Giles Church, Gilesgate, Durham