St Giles' Church, Standlake
Encyclopedia
The Parish Church of Saint Giles, Standlake is the Church of England parish church
of Standlake
, a village about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Witney
in Oxfordshire
. Since 1976 St. Giles has been a member of the Lower Windrush Benefice along with the parishes of Northmoor
, Stanton Harcourt
and Yelford
.
of Saint Giles
dates from the latter part of the 12th century, and the chancel
arch, west wall of the nave
and Norman
font
survive from this time. In the first half of the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and north and south transepts were added, all in Early English Gothic style. The north transept and east end of the chancel retain some lancet window
s from this time. The north aisle is 14th century but the square bases of the columns of its arcade
look 12th century, suggesting that it was rebuilt from an earlier north aisle that was either purely Norman or Transitional from Norman to Early English. The south aisle, however, is purely early 14th century, as are the Decorated Gothic windows in both aisles. In the middle of the 14th century the arcade between the nave and the north aisle was rebuilt with Decorated Gothic columns, new windows were inserted in the north walls of the chancel and the north transept, and an unusual slender octagonal bell tower
with a small spire was added at the west end of the nave. In about 1500 a clerestory
was added to the nave and Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted on the south side of the chancel and at the west end of the south aisle.
C.C. Rolfe restored
it in phases from 1880 to 1891. Rolfe rediscovered and reopened 13th century windows in the chancel, north transept and at the west end of the north aisle and blocked the windows that had been added to the chancel in the 14th and 15th centuries. Rolfe rebuilt the porch, which was probably 14th century, reusing its original materials. Rolfe also re-roofed and refurnished the entire building, for which all the woodcarving was undertaken by Harry Hems of Exeter
. The spire was restored in 1911. The roof developed structural defects in the 20th century and in the Second World War
it was damaged by a bomb. It was repaired in about 1950 and the church was reroofed in the 1990s.
of five cast by Henry III Bagley of Chacombe, Northamptonshire
. The Sanctus bell was cast in 1783. William Taylor cast the tenor bell in 1843, presumably at his then bell-foundry
in Oxford. Mears and Stainbank
or the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast the treble bell in 1887. One of the older bells was recast in 1931.
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Standlake
Standlake
Standlake is a village and civil parish about southeast of Witney and west of Oxford. The parish includes the hamlet of Brighthampton. The River Windrush flows past the village and with its tributary Medley Brook it forms much of the eastern boundary of the parish. The western boundary has been...
, a village about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. Since 1976 St. Giles has been a member of the Lower Windrush Benefice along with the parishes of Northmoor
Northmoor, Oxfordshire
Northmoor is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire, west of Oxford and almost southeast of Witney. Northmoor is in the valley of the River Thames, which bounds the parish to the east and south, and is close to the River Windrush which forms part of the parish's western...
, Stanton Harcourt
Stanton Harcourt
Stanton Harcourt is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about southeast of Witney and west of Oxford.-Archaeology:Within the parish of Stanton Harcourt is a series of paleochannel deposits buried beneath the second gravel terrace of the river Thames...
and Yelford
Yelford
Yelford is a hamlet in Hardwick-with-Yelford civil parish. It is about south of Witney.-Manor:In 1086 the Domesday Book records that Walter of Ponz held the manor of Yelford. Walter's other manors included Eaton Hastings, and together his manors were sometimes called the honour of Hastings. By...
.
History
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
dates from the latter part of the 12th century, and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch, west wall of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
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:...
survive from this time. In the first half of the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and north and south transepts were added, all in Early English Gothic style. The north transept and east end of the chancel retain some lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s from this time. The north aisle is 14th century but the square bases of the columns of its arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
look 12th century, suggesting that it was rebuilt from an earlier north aisle that was either purely Norman or Transitional from Norman to Early English. The south aisle, however, is purely early 14th century, as are the Decorated Gothic windows in both aisles. In the middle of the 14th century the arcade between the nave and the north aisle was rebuilt with Decorated Gothic columns, new windows were inserted in the north walls of the chancel and the north transept, and an unusual slender octagonal bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
with a small spire was added at the west end of the nave. In about 1500 a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
was added to the nave and Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted on the south side of the chancel and at the west end of the south aisle.
Restoration
In the 19th century the church building deteriorated until the Gothic Revival architectGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
C.C. Rolfe restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
it in phases from 1880 to 1891. Rolfe rediscovered and reopened 13th century windows in the chancel, north transept and at the west end of the north aisle and blocked the windows that had been added to the chancel in the 14th and 15th centuries. Rolfe rebuilt the porch, which was probably 14th century, reusing its original materials. Rolfe also re-roofed and refurnished the entire building, for which all the woodcarving was undertaken by Harry Hems of Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. The spire was restored in 1911. The roof developed structural defects in the 20th century and in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was damaged by a bomb. It was repaired in about 1950 and the church was reroofed in the 1990s.
Bells
The tower's three oldest bells were cast in 1709 and 1710: the survivors of a ringChange 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....
of five cast by Henry III Bagley of Chacombe, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. The Sanctus bell was cast in 1783. William Taylor cast the tenor bell in 1843, presumably at his then bell-foundry
Bellfounding
Bellfounding is the casting of bells in a foundry for use in churches, clocks, and public buildings. A practitioner of the craft is called a bellmaker or bellfounder. The process in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in...
in Oxford. Mears and Stainbank
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
or the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
cast the treble bell in 1887. One of the older bells was recast in 1931.