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St Giles Church, Wrexham
St Giles Church, Wrexham
St Giles’ Parish Church is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. Recognized as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales, it is a Grade I listed building. The 16th-century tower, rising to 41 meters, is a local landmark and one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’.
Key Facts
- Location: Wrexham, Wales
- Denomination: Church in Wales
- Consecrated: 1492
- Status: Grade I listed
- Height: 41 meters
- Architectural Style: Perpendicular Gothic
- Legend: One of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’
Overview
St Giles’ Parish Church (Welsh: Eglwys San Silyn) is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. Recognized as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales, it is a Grade I listed building. The 16th-century tower, rising to 41 meters, is a local landmark and one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’.
The site has been a place of Christian worship for at least 800 years. The current church was built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It features numerous notable works, including 14th-century carvings, monuments by Roubiliac and Woolner, a stained-glass window attributed to Burne-Jones, and one of the oldest brass eagle lecterns in Britain.
The tomb of Elihu Yale, benefactor of Yale University, is located in the churchyard. ‘Wrexham Tower’ of Saybrook College at Yale University was modeled after St Giles’ tower.
A chapel founded by the Celtic saint Silin likely existed in the area. The earliest reference to the church dates back to 1220. The current building incorporates features from a 14th-century church that was rebuilt after a fire in the 15th century. The main part of St Giles was constructed between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, with rich Tudor symbolism.
In 1643, the original organ was destroyed by Parliamentary soldiers during the English Civil War. The church was depicted by JMW Turner in the 18th century and described by Samuel Johnson as ‘very large and magnificent’.
In 2015, a rare first edition King James Bible from 1611 was rediscovered in the church.
The richly decorated five-stage tower, 135 feet high, was begun in 1506. The nave arcade dates from the 14th century, while the rest of the church is in the late Perpendicular style. The interior features notable carvings, a 16th-century wooden roof with polychrome angels, and numerous monuments. The church contains windows by Burne-Jones and Charles Eamer Kempe.
The churchyard is entered through wrought-iron gates completed in 1720 by the Davies Brothers. The gates are considered some of the finest examples of wrought-iron work in Britain.
Local legend suggests the church was originally to be built at Brynyffynon but was moved to its current location after a divine sign. The church tower collapsed in 1330, believed to be divine punishment for holding the market on a Sunday. The church organ is referenced in the 1647 play “The Pilgrim” by Beaumont and Fletcher.
The hymn “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” was composed by Reginald Heber and first performed at the church in 1819. There are also legends of underground tunnels beneath the church leading to local pubs.
The church’s tower is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, commemorated in a traditional rhyme.
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