St Giles Church, Willenhall
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Giles
is a parish church
in Willenhall
, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
, West Midlands
, England
. Although the current church building dates to 1867, a church has been located in Willenhall since c. 1313, where a chaplain is mentioned in one of the Paget deeds. The current parish priest is Father Andrew Welsby .
were installed. The church building was square in plan and was built of red brick. A chancel was located on the east side of the church. It consisted of 620 seats and an organ which was installed in 1842.
In about 1850, it was decided that a new church should be sought and in a vestry meeting in 1853, W. D. Griffin, a Wolverhampton
-based architect, provided designs to alter the church. It was decided that the scheme was too costly and Griffin was told to design a new church in the Gothic style
. Construction commenced in 1866 and was completed the following year, with the entire scheme costing £6,700. It was consecrated by Dr. John Lonsdale, Lord Bishop of Lichfield on July 18, 1867. In 1898, the church received a new organ from Hill Norman and Beard to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
. In 1900, the first school building was constructed. In 1911, the interior was renovated and oak choir stalls provided. The church was again renovated in 1927, with the addition of a vestry and side chapel, a new high altar of the English pattern and an oak carved pulpit. A mission church of St Giles, dedicated to St Matthias, was built in Shepwell Green in 1907 but then shut in the 1980's.
The St Giles parish, assigned to the church, was created in 1848, before which the church had served as a chapel of ease
to St. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton
. The first burials took place in 1727.
The original peal of bells were recast and rehung in 1933. A further two bells were also added in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of King George V
.
On July 31, 1986, the church was granted Grade II listed status.
The famous Rock Band of the Seventies " Slade " used to rehearse at the Youth Club next to the Church
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...
is a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
, Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district in the Black Country part of the West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills,...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Although the current church building dates to 1867, a church has been located in Willenhall since c. 1313, where a chaplain is mentioned in one of the Paget deeds. The current parish priest is Father Andrew Welsby .
History
The original church is believed to have survived until 1748, by which time it had fallen into decay. It was described by Dr. Wilkes, a local antiquary, that the building was unsafe to allow people to congregate there. A new church was constructed in its place in 1750, although the ancient tower remained and in 1788, another storey was added to it. Inside this extension, a peal of eight bells made by Abraham Rudhall of GloucesterRudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
were installed. The church building was square in plan and was built of red brick. A chancel was located on the east side of the church. It consisted of 620 seats and an organ which was installed in 1842.
In about 1850, it was decided that a new church should be sought and in a vestry meeting in 1853, W. D. Griffin, a Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
-based architect, provided designs to alter the church. It was decided that the scheme was too costly and Griffin was told to design a new church in the Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. Construction commenced in 1866 and was completed the following year, with the entire scheme costing £6,700. It was consecrated by Dr. John Lonsdale, Lord Bishop of Lichfield on July 18, 1867. In 1898, the church received a new organ from Hill Norman and Beard to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was celebrated on June 20, 1887. Victoria marked the fiftieth anniversary of her accession on June 20, 1887 with a banquet to which 50 European kings and princes were invited.-History:...
. In 1900, the first school building was constructed. In 1911, the interior was renovated and oak choir stalls provided. The church was again renovated in 1927, with the addition of a vestry and side chapel, a new high altar of the English pattern and an oak carved pulpit. A mission church of St Giles, dedicated to St Matthias, was built in Shepwell Green in 1907 but then shut in the 1980's.
The St Giles parish, assigned to the church, was created in 1848, before which the church had served as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to St. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton
St. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton
St. Peter's Collegiate Church is located on the highest and the oldest developed site in central Wolverhampton, England. For many centuries it was a chapel royal, and from 1480 a royal peculiar, independent of the Diocese of Lichfield and even the Province of Canterbury. The collegiate church was...
. The first burials took place in 1727.
The original peal of bells were recast and rehung in 1933. A further two bells were also added in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
On July 31, 1986, the church was granted Grade II listed status.
The famous Rock Band of the Seventies " Slade " used to rehearse at the Youth Club next to the Church