St Giles, Wormshill

Parish church
name=St. Giles Church, Wormshill

caption=The_south_wall_of_the_church
dedication = Saint Giles
denomination = Church of England
tradition =
deanery = Sittingbourne
archdeaconry = Maidstone
diocese = Canterbury
province = Canterbury
vicar = John SmithAnglican Portal

St. Giles Church is the sole church in the village of Wormshill in Kent. The church is Anglican and is dedicated to Saint Giles. It forms part of the united benefice of Bredgar, Milstead, Bicknor and Frinsted. The ecclesiastical parish of Wormshill is in the Diocese of Canterbury and the Sittingbourne deanery (within the archdeaconry of Maidstone).cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Sittingbourne, Milton, and District Directory 1908/09 | work =
publisher = W.J. Parrett Ltd | date = Reprinted 1980 | url = http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mrawson/dir08worm.html
format = | doi = | accessdate = ] cite web
last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Deanery of Sittingbourne | work = | publisher = Diocese of Canterbury
date = | url = http://www.canterbury.anglican.org/parishdeanery/parish7.htm
format = | doi = | accessdate = ]

History

There has been a church in the village since around the time of the Norman Conquest although it was not specifically noted in the Domesday Book of 1086.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Wormshill in the Domesday Book of 1086
work =
publisher = The National Archives
date =
url = http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7571100&queryType=1&resultcount=1
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] The village itself has pagan roots as indicated by the toponomy of the name "Wormshill" (from the Anglo-Saxon god Wōden) [Citation
last = Reaney
first = P. H.
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Place-Names and Early Settlement in Kent
journal = Archaeologia Cantiana
volume = 76
issue =
pages = 58 to 60
date =
year = 1961
url = http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/Vol.076%20-%201961/page%20v%20+%20vi%20%20contents.htm
doi =
id = ] however the church appears to have been built, at least in part, by Normans since it displays Norman architectural features.

In 1995, the church received a new ring of six bells after a campaign by villagers begun in 1944 by the late Michael Nightingale of Cromarty who, aged 16, opened a savings account with ten shillings for the restoration of the church's bells. Fifty years later he completed the full peal of six bells - one of which was original and five were rescued from abandoned churches. [cite web
last = Love
first = Dickon R.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Culmination of a 50 year project at Wormshill
work = Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent
publisher =
date = 1996
url = http://kent.lovesguide.com/articles/wormshill.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] [Citation
last = Gatton
first = Edmund
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Obituary of Michael Nightingale
newspaper = The Independent
pages =
year =
date = 8 September 1998
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980908/ai_n14169648 ] The church also contains a 13th century chest, first discovered in the early 20th century. [Citation
last = Grove
first = L. R. A
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = A Chest of Thirteenth-Century Type from Wormshill Church
journal = Archaeologia Cantiana
volume = 71
issue =
pages = 214 to 218
date =
year = 1957
url = http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/Vol.071%20-%201957/page%20v%20+%20vi%20%20contents.htm
doi =
id = ] [Citation
last = Grove
first = L. R. A
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Researches and Discoveries in Kent
journal = Archaeologia Cantiana
volume = 73
issue =
pages = 232
date =
year = 1959
url = http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/Vol.073%20-%201959/13/232.htm
doi =
id = ] [cite web
last = Rayner
first = J
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Photograph of 13th century chest in St Giles church
work =
publisher = Webshots
date = July 2006
url = http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2348501990094942475OwJzER
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] The church register dates back to 1700.

In January 2007, the interior of the church, exterior shots of the building and the churchyard and surroundings were used extensively as locations in the filming of an episode of "EastEnders" broadcast in the United Kingdom over the Easter 2007 holiday season. [cite web
last = Anderson
first = Rebecca
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Eastenders visits Kent
work =
publisher = Kent Film Office
date = April 2007
url = http://www.kent.gov.uk/filmoffice/news-items/eastenders-visits-kent/
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] Mock gravestones together with a temporary Victorian-style street lamp were added to the churchyard by the production crew.

Architecture

Officially recorded as being medieval in origin,cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = St Giles, Wormshill
work =
publisher = Kent Churches
date =
url = http://www.kentchurches.info/parish.asp?p=Wormshill
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] parts of the church date back to the Norman era. Major renovations of the church were in 1789 at a cost of £1,200, in 1879 (see below) and again early in the 20th century (1901). The building is constructed from flint in the Early English style.

In 1798, Edward Hasted described the church as:

"dedicated to St. Giles, and consists of two isles and two chancels, having a tower steeple at the west end of it. There are remains of good painted glass in the great east window. Several of the family of Tylden lie buried in it...In the church yard are some tombs of the Thatcher's, and for the Woods who resided at Northwood, in this parish and Bicknor."Citation
last = Hasted
first = Edward
author-link = Edward Hasted
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Parishes: Wormsell
journal = History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent
volume = 5
issue =
pages = 561–565
date =
year = 1798
url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62933
doi =
id = ]

The Tyldens were an ancient landholding family in the area for at least three centuries and William Tylden's memorial stone lies set in the floor of the north chancel, showing his date of death as 23 December 1613.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = William Tylden's grave
work =
publisher = Geograph
date =
url = http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/628698
format =
doi =
accessdate = ]

Samuel Lewis, in his 1831 "Topographical Dictionary of England" wrote of a "tower steeple and some fine remains of stained glass in the great east window."Citation
last = Lewis
first = Samuel
authorlink = Samuel Lewis (publisher)
coauthors =
title = A Topographical Dictionary of England: Comprising the Several Counties
publisher = S. Lewis
date = 1831
location =
pages = 575
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=4OgqAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA575&vq=Wormshill&dq=wormshill+church
doi =
id =
isbn = ]

In 1852, Arthur Hussey described the church as having architectural features "certainly of a very early character" and further:

"In Wormshill church the arches, which are pointed, appear to be mere perforations of the wall, the soffits being single, the angles not chamfered, of the thickness of the wall, flat and plain from one side to the other."Citation
last = Hussey
first = Arthur
authorlink = Arthur Hussey
coauthors =
title = Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey
publisher = Oxford University
date = 1852
location =
pages = 70
url = http://www.google.com.au/books?id=LBQHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA70&dq=Wormshill&as_brr=1
doi =
id =
isbn = ]

In 1851 the church was said to have seating capacity of "140" with "afternoon attendance: 82" and, in 1879, architect Joseph Clarke undertook further restoration work. This work was commemorated by the addition of a new stained glass window (see image "right") dedicated to Saint Giles which bears the date of the restoration (1879) as well as the name of the vicar, "H. Newport" and church wardens Tom Clements (who was at one time the village postmaster) and "H. Hudson".

As of late 2007, structurally the church is unchanged in at least 200 years, as indicated by a watercolour painted in 1807, [cite web
last = Petrie, H. F.S.A
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = St. Giles: photograph of watercolour
work =
publisher = Kent Archaeological Society
date = 1807
url = http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Libr/VisRec/W/WOH/01.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] and still retains most of its earlier features. However the church has undergone a number of repairs and restorations, particular in respect to the building's roof, [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Church plans online
work =
publisher = Incorporated Church Building Society
date =
url = http://www.churchplansonline.org/retrieve_results.asp?d=Canterbury&offset=-1
format =
doi =
accessdate = ] and the rebuilding of the tower and porch in 1903. An Edwardian postcard (as compared with contemporary images) similarly indicates the interior remains relatively untouched.

The font within the church is from the Norman era and the pulpit is from Tudor period. A stained glass window dated 1879 in a small opening in the south wall depicts St Giles, holding a stricken deer, in keeping with the saint's story. Further stained glass includes the Northwood coat of arms, dedicated to a former landholding family in the parish.cite web
last = Norwood
first = Stephen
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Norwood Arms at Wormshill, Kent
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/4805/wormsell.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = ]

Rectory

The current vicar is the Reverend John Smith. A vicar at the Rectory of Wormshill in the 19th century, Reverend Josiah Disturnell, was the subject of a debate as to early examples of exceptional "human longevity" when he was cited as being 107 years old when he died. References to the rector's memorial stone in the church were ultimately provided as evidence of his actual age of death, being either "91 or 93". [Citation
last = Thoms
first = William John
authorlink = William John Thoms
coauthors =
title = Human Longevity, Its Facts and Its Fictions
publisher = Oxford University
date = 1873
location = London
pages = 6 to 7
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=Rz0DAAAAQAAJ&dq=wormshill&pgis=1
doi =
id =
isbn = ]

The former rectory house (or vicarage) is now a private dwelling.

References

External links

* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/TQ8857 Images of Wormshill] at Geograph, including images of the church.