Church of St Giles
CHURCH OF ST GILES, GILESGATE, DH1 1QQ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1159991
- Date first listed:
- 06-May-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Giles
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST GILES, GILESGATE, DH1 1QQ
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2005-12-12
- Reference:
- IOE01/15007/24
- Rights:
- © Mr Bob Cottrell. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1159991
- Date first listed:
- 06-May-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Giles
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST GILES, GILESGATE, DH1 1QQ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST GILES, GILESGATE, DH1 1QQ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- County Durham (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- City of Durham
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 28388 42653
Details
NZ 2842 NE,
11/178
DURHAM AND FRAMWELLGATE,
GILESGATE (south side)
Church of St Giles
06.05.52
GV
I
Parish church. Part of the hospital of St Giles founded 1112 AD; north nave
wall c.1114; chancel late C12; tower early C13 and early C15; c.1873 south
aisle and vestry, north porch. Sandstone, most coursed and squared, with ashlar
dressings; porch snecked sandstone; plinth. Roofs not visible.
EXTERIOR: Nave with south aisle and north porch; chancel with south vestry; west tower.
Square tower of four stages has clasping buttresses flanking restored three-light west
window with Perpendicular tracery; top stages have small square-headed window
and two-light belfry openings, traceried except on east side, below pinnacled
battlements. North wall of nave has three small windows, the west two round-headed
and with shallow chamfered surround, that at east renewed; massive buttresses
define east bay which was original chancel. Later chancel has blocked north door;
shafted round-headed north and south windows with zig-zag moulding; five-light
renewed east window; sill string. Buttressed south aisle has five Perpendicular
three-light windows.
INTERIOR: coursed squared sandstone, raised on the north in rubble, in nave and
chancel; tower rubble; C19 work painted plaster with ashlar dressings; panelled
roof on painted corbels and tie beams. Octagonal columns in five-bay arcade and
south organ chamber have two hollow chamfers to two-centred arches. three shafts support
double-chamfered renewed chancel arch; fragment of former chancel arch on north
with two head corbels. Tower arch of two orders has dog-tooth corbels. North door,
re-sited from south, has cushion capitals and zig-zag moulding; deep splays to
nave north windows; chancel windows have water-leaf capitals and zig-zag drip
string. Blocked round-headed doors in chancel and adjacent to north door. Font
in tower has large lead-lined bowl on round pedestal with cushion capital.
In chancel wood effigy of John Heath of Kepier, died 1591, in armour; head rests
on cock-crested helmet, feet on scroll containing two skulls with motto 'Hodie
mihi cras tibi'; Heath arms on shield hanging from renewed wooden chest.
Porch contains fragment of tegulated coped medieval grave-cover.
Listing NGR: NZ2838742654
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 110230
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Durham, (1928), 186-190
Pevsner, N, Williamson, E, The Buildings of England: County Durham, (2003)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 05:51:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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