[Picture: St. Giles’s Church, N.W.]
Sacred edifices, under the invocation of this Saint, were generally
founded “without the city;” that in this town occupies a situation at the
eastern extremity of the suburb of Abbey-foregate.
The structure is unquestionably as old as the early part of the twelfth
century; and while presenting an interesting picture of the work of
former times, has a tendency to lead the mind, under fit impressions, to
the hope of a less perishable, “greater, and more perfect tabernacle.”
It consists of a nave, chancel, and north aisle, with a small turret at
the western end, in which a bell has lately been introduced. The
principal entrance is at the south, under a Norman arch. The north aisle
is separated from the nave by three pointed arches sustained on plain
round columns, formed (it appears) in the thickness of the wall, and
peculiarly flanked on the north side by square piers, having an upper and
lower narrow moulding adorned with recessed quatrefoils. These piers, it
is presumed, originally served as buttresses to strengthen the outward
wall of the fabric, which on receiving the addition of a north aisle
(evidently at a very early period), a communication was then opened with
the nave by perforating the wall into arches, which are of the era when
the Norman was giving way to the pointed style. It is not improbable but
this aisle was made for the accommodation of persons afflicted with
leprosy, to which they had access from the adjoining hospital by a
pointed doorway, and where they might hear the offices of religion
without endangering other worshippers with their contagious malady. At
the east end is a curious round-headed window with mullions.
A fine pointed arch separates the nave from the chancel, which is
terminated by a flat-arched mullioned window, containing a noble
collection of stained glass, executed by Mr. David Evans, of Shrewsbury.
The four lower compartments have full-length figures of THE EVANGELISTS,
standing upon hexagonal pedestals, through the external circular arches
of which is exhibited the groined roof of a crypt supported by slender
pillars. Over each figure is a beautiful canopy of tabernacle work, and
in the intersections of the tracery are the symbols of the Evangelists,
each supporting a tablet, on which is respectively inscribed, in small
characters—
Mattheus Christi stirpens et genus ordine narrat
Marcus Baptistam clamantem inducit eremo
Virgine pregnatum Lucas describit Jesum
Prodit Joannes verbi impenetrabile lumen.
The three principal compartments in the upper division display fine
representations from ancient designs of THE SALUTATION, THE WISE MENS’
OFFERING, and THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, beneath each of which is a
Latin text: the first is taken from Luke i. 28; the second from Psalm
lxxii. 10; the third from Luke ii. 29, 30. At the bottom of the window,
GULIELMUS GORSUCH ROWLAND DONO DEDIT.
The small Norman loop-hole on the north side contains a figure of St.
Giles, and is an exquisite imitation of ancient stained glass.
On the south side of the chancel is a low pointed arch, the stone-work of
which projects outside the building, and was no doubt originally intended
to contain the remains of a master of the hospital. After the plaister
had been removed in 1826, which brought to view this archway, the ground
at its base was opened, when a stone grave cased with brick-work was
discovered, with part of the bones of two individuals. In 1685 it
appears to have been used for the interment of the individual whose name
is inscribed on the stone, and to prevent (if possible) that ejection of
himself which must have befallen the remains of a former tenant, it is
further added
STVR NOT MY BONES
WHICH ARE LAYDE IN CLAYE
FOR I MVST RISE AT
THE RESVRRECTION DAY.