St Giles' Church, Imber
Encyclopedia
St Giles' Church in the deserted village of Imber
, Wiltshire
, England was built in the late 13th or early 14th century. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is now a redundant church
in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. It was declared redundant on 1 November 2002, and was vested
in the Trust on 14 September 2005.
The church was built of dressed limestone
in the late 13th century, replacing a church which had stood on the site since the 12th century. The tower with its five pinnacle
s and the north and south aisles followed in the 14th century. Extensive rebuilding was undertaken in the 19th century. The church no longer has its pews or other fittings however the remains of medieval paintings can still be seen on the walls including a set of 17th-century bell ringing
changes
painted on the north wall of the tower.
The village is part of the British Army's
training grounds on the Salisbury Plain
. The entire civilian population was evicted in 1943 to provide an exercise area for American troops preparing for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War. After the war villagers were not allowed to return their homes, so the church's font
was moved to Brixton Deverill
, the pulpit to Winterbourne Stoke
and the seating, bell and two effigies to Edington
. The village, which is still classed as an urban entity, remains under the control of the Ministry of Defence
despite several attempts by former residents to return. Non-military access is limited to several open days a year. Unlike the rest of the parish, St Giles's church and its graveyard remained in the hands of the Diocese of Salisbury
, although access to them was and is controlled by the Ministry of Defence. The civil parish
of Imber was eventually incorporated into neighbouring Heytesbury
, to the south, while for Church of England
purposes the ecclesiastical parish of Imber was incorporated into the Edington
, to the north. This combined ecclesiastical parish of Edington-with-Imber was responsible for another ancient listed church, Edington Priory
, as well as St Giles's.
, setting in train a process which ended in 2005 with the vesting of the church in the Churches Conservation Trust
. In the meantime, the church tower had been struck by lightning
in 2003, weakening the structure, but restoration work commenced in 2008 and the annual service resumed in September 2009 on completion of the works.
After extensive restoration, a ring of six bells was installed in August 2010.
Imber
Imber is an uninhabited village in part of the British Army's training grounds on the Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It is situated in an isolated area of the Plain, about west of the A360 road between Tilshead and West Lavington, accessible only by military tracks...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England was built in the late 13th or early 14th century. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is now a redundant church
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It was declared redundant on 1 November 2002, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 14 September 2005.
The church was built of dressed limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the late 13th century, replacing a church which had stood on the site since the 12th century. The tower with its five pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s and the north and south aisles followed in the 14th century. Extensive rebuilding was undertaken in the 19th century. The church no longer has its pews or other fittings however the remains of medieval paintings can still be seen on the walls including a set of 17th-century bell ringing
Campanology
Campanology is the study of bells. It encompasses the physical realities of bells — how they are cast, tuned and sounded — as well as the various methods devised to perform bell-ringing....
changes
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
painted on the north wall of the tower.
The village is part of the British Army's
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
training grounds on the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
. The entire civilian population was evicted in 1943 to provide an exercise area for American troops preparing for the invasion of Europe during the Second World War. After the war villagers were not allowed to return their homes, so the church's font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
was moved to Brixton Deverill
Brixton Deverill
Brixton Deverill is a village and civil parish on the River Wylye about south of Warminster in Wiltshire, England....
, the pulpit to Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke is a village in Wiltshire, England, located around 5 km west of Stonehenge. It is sited on the A303 road, close to its junction with the B3083.-External links:...
and the seating, bell and two effigies to Edington
Edington, Wiltshire
Edington is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about five miles east of Westbury.The parish includes two principal settlements, Edington village and Tinhead, which lies between the main village and Coulston and contains the parish's only surviving public house, The Paulet Arms...
. The village, which is still classed as an urban entity, remains under the control of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
despite several attempts by former residents to return. Non-military access is limited to several open days a year. Unlike the rest of the parish, St Giles's church and its graveyard remained in the hands of the Diocese of Salisbury
Diocese of Salisbury
The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England. The diocese covers Dorset and most of Wiltshire and is a constituent diocese of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Salisbury and the diocesan synod...
, although access to them was and is controlled by the Ministry of Defence. The civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Imber was eventually incorporated into neighbouring Heytesbury
Heytesbury
Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
, to the south, while for Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
purposes the ecclesiastical parish of Imber was incorporated into the Edington
Edington, Wiltshire
Edington is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about five miles east of Westbury.The parish includes two principal settlements, Edington village and Tinhead, which lies between the main village and Coulston and contains the parish's only surviving public house, The Paulet Arms...
, to the north. This combined ecclesiastical parish of Edington-with-Imber was responsible for another ancient listed church, Edington Priory
Edington Priory
Edington Priory in Wiltshire, England, was founded by William Edington, the bishop of Winchester, in 1332 in his home village of Edington. The priory church was built between 1352 and 1361.-History:...
, as well as St Giles's.
Restoration
By 2001 it had become clear, according to a Church of England press release, that St Giles's "was in need of extensive repairs." Since it was "not possible for the parochial church council to accept liability for the maintenance of a building to which they only had effective access for worship once a year", the Edington-with-Imber PCC requested that Imber church be declared redundantRedundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
, setting in train a process which ended in 2005 with the vesting of the church in the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. In the meantime, the church tower had been struck by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
in 2003, weakening the structure, but restoration work commenced in 2008 and the annual service resumed in September 2009 on completion of the works.
After extensive restoration, a ring of six bells was installed in August 2010.
See also
External links
- Details of history and church openings— Information about St Giles Church Imber