St Giles Church is a Christian place of worship and has been since at least the tenth century (900's) and very probably long before that. This would make it one of the earliest permanent places of Christian worship in this country.. The original church (or chapel) was tiny and is now the chancel. The entrance to the original chapel was where the entrance to the chancel is now, (from the current Nave). There was a central door-way on what was the Western wall of the original chapel with an arched window each side of the door.These ancient windows were exposed when the interior walls of the church were re-rendered approx. 18 years ago. One window is above the pulpit and the other is behind the prayer board. (Both are now under the "new" render to the internal walls) The external walls of the chancel provide evidence of the churches age. The walls above the base-stones are constructed from random pieces of stone that is now termed "rubble" but is actually stone collected from many sources:- stream beds, fields and from stone-mason's yards. When the original interior render was removed from the inner walls of the chancel approx. 18 years ago many pieces of red terracotta earthenware were found to be filling gaps in the uneven joints of the rough piece of stone. At the same time as the re-rendering of the interior much work was carried out to drains, down-pipes and gutters, replacing of missing roof-tiles and the re-sealing of the "valley gutter" between Chancel and Vestry and the roof joint between tower and nave. Approx. 22 years ago the bell-ringing platform to the tower was raised to its present position and a lavatory and kitchen were installed below in the base of the tower. Soon afterwards the rearmost pews were removed from the South side of the nave and a new oak floor was laid, a new font installed and the new oak book-case and heating pipe cover was installed. A new notice-board was installed in the car-park and the gates re-painted. It is saddening to see the sorry and neglected state that prevails to the drive-way, paint-work, gutters and the nave floor today. It is horrendous that plastic sheet now covers the East Window on this holy place. The Norman tower and the current nave are post-1066 and the Norman Conquest. The tower is a fine example of classical "Norman" masonry. In the late Victorian era (around 1870), the North wall was replaced in it's entirety and the existing porch was added. For some unrecorded reason the new north wall is now of what appears to be York-stone instead of local sand-stone. There is verbal evidence that the church tower had a steeple. There is no documentary record of this. However, given the churches "out of the way" location and looking at other nearby churches, it is very probable that to make St Giles visible to passers-by, St Giles did have a steeple as part of the Norman addition. The "Manor House" associated with St Giles Church is "Whitacre Hall", a moated manor-house approx. 3 miles to the North West of Nether Whitacre Village. Whitacre Hall (off Dog Lane) was once owned by a Mr Jennons, a benefactor of St Giles. It is on record that this gentleman was a friend of J S Bach the composer, who probably visited St Giles Church. A memorial to Mr Jennons is located in the vestry. The vestry itself is a Victorian addition. Another fascinating feature of St Giles are the 5 "Riley" Graves in the church-yard. All were sons of a game-keeper. Their premature death was caused by eating too much rabbit meat! Although not poisonous in itself, rabbit meat, if eaten too often, prevents other food from being digested and starvation results. Whole colonies of pilgrims to America in the 18th and 19th centuries were wiped out due to this phenomena.
Nige Jones
Hard to find church tucked away. Interesting appearance, seems to have been constructed in three different phases.
Alan Bates
Lovely little Church. The minister, Becky, a great person. Nice, friendly, peaceful place. Thanks.
Vera Iveson
Pretty church in lovely location
Alex Tunstall
the bells were a bit loud
Sasha Taylor2 years ago
Great village church hidden away from the surrounding roads
Sad as it is such a lovely old church
The external walls of the chancel provide evidence of the churches age. The walls above the base-stones are constructed from random pieces of stone that is now termed "rubble" but is actually stone collected from many sources:- stream beds, fields and from stone-mason's yards. When the original interior render was removed from the inner walls of the chancel approx. 18 years ago many pieces of red terracotta earthenware were found to be filling gaps in the uneven joints of the rough piece of stone. At the same time as the re-rendering of the interior much work was carried out to drains, down-pipes and gutters, replacing of missing roof-tiles and the re-sealing of the "valley gutter" between Chancel and Vestry and the roof joint between tower and nave.
Approx. 22 years ago the bell-ringing platform to the tower was raised to its present position and a lavatory and kitchen were installed below in the base of the tower. Soon afterwards the rearmost pews were removed from the South side of the nave and a new oak floor was laid, a new font installed and the new oak book-case and heating pipe cover was installed. A new notice-board was installed in the car-park and the gates re-painted.
It is saddening to see the sorry and neglected state that prevails to the drive-way, paint-work, gutters and the nave floor today. It is horrendous that plastic sheet now covers the East Window on this holy place.
The Norman tower and the current nave are post-1066 and the Norman Conquest. The tower is a fine example of classical "Norman" masonry.
In the late Victorian era (around 1870), the North wall was replaced in it's entirety and the existing porch was added. For some unrecorded reason the new north wall is now of what appears to be York-stone instead of local sand-stone.
There is verbal evidence that the church tower had a steeple. There is no documentary record of this. However, given the churches "out of the way" location and looking at other nearby churches, it is very probable that to make St Giles visible to passers-by, St Giles did have a steeple as part of the Norman addition.
The "Manor House" associated with St Giles Church is "Whitacre Hall", a moated manor-house approx. 3 miles to the North West of Nether Whitacre Village. Whitacre Hall (off Dog Lane) was once owned by a Mr Jennons, a benefactor of St Giles. It is on record that this gentleman was a friend of J S Bach the composer, who probably visited St Giles Church. A memorial to Mr Jennons is located in the vestry. The vestry itself is a Victorian addition.
Another fascinating feature of St Giles are the 5 "Riley" Graves in the church-yard. All were sons of a game-keeper. Their premature death was caused by eating too much rabbit meat! Although not poisonous in itself, rabbit meat, if eaten too often, prevents other food from being digested and starvation results. Whole colonies of pilgrims to America in the 18th and 19th centuries were wiped out due to this phenomena.