| St Giles' Church | |
|---|---|
| The Parish Church of St Giles | |
Eglwys San Silyn | |
 "The Glory of the Marches". | |
 | |
| Location | Church Street, Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, LL13 8LS |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | St Giles' Church |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Years built | c. 16th century |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Asaph |
| Parish | Wrexham |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | The Revd Canon Dr Jason Bray (Vicar of Wrexham) |
| Curate(s) | The Revd Marcus Pipe |
St Giles' Parish Church (Welsh: Eglwys San Silyn) is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. The church is recognised as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales and is a Grade I listed building, described by Sir Simon Jenkins as 'the glory of the Marches'[1] and by W. D. Caröe as a “glorious masterpiece.”[2]
The iconic 16th-century tower rises to a height of 41 m (136 feet)[3] and is a local landmark that can be seen for many miles around. It forms one of the 'Seven Wonders of Wales'.
St Giles' occupies a site of continuous Christian worship for at least 800 years.[4] The main body of the current church was built at the end of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th centuries. It is widely held to be among the greatest of the medieval buildings still standing in Wales.[5]
The church contains numerous works of note including decorative carvings and statuary dating from the 14th century, monuments by Roubiliac and Woolner, a stained-glass window attributed to Burne-Jones and one of the oldest brass eagle lecterns in Britain.[6]
The tomb of Elihu Yale, benefactor of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, is located in the churchyard. In recognition of this connection, 'Wrexham Tower' of Saybrook College in the university was modelled on the tower of St Giles'.[7][8]
- ^ Simon Jenkins: Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles (Penguin 2008)
- ^ Dodd, Arthur Herbert (1957). A History of Wrexham, Denbighshire: Published for the Wrexham Borough Council in Commemoration of the Centenary of the Incorporation of the Borough, 1857-1957. Hughes.
- ^ Dodd, Arthur Herbert (1957). A History of Wrexham, Denbighshire: Published for the Wrexham Borough Council in Commemoration of the Centenary of the Incorporation of the Borough, 1857-1957. Hughes.
- ^ "Visitor Information / Group Travel". stgilesparishchurchwrexham.org.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Amin, Nathen (13 March 2014). Tudor Wales : a guide. Stroud. ISBN 978-1-4456-1773-2. OCLC 865495335.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ [email protected], Wrexham County Borough Council, Guildhall, Wrexham LL11 1AY, UK. "The Open Church Network - The Parish Church of St Giles, Wrexham - WCBC". old.wrexham.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Connecticut: A Guide to Its Roads, Lore and People. US History Publishers. 1973. ISBN 978-1-60354-007-0.
- ^ "The Courtyards | Saybrook College". saybrook.yalecollege.yale.edu. Retrieved 20 August 2020.