Church of St Giles, Great Maplestead (EHER 9325)

Parish Church of St Giles. The walls are of flint and pebble rubble with dressings of limestone and clunch; the roofs are tiled. The apse and west tower were built in the 12th century. Early in the 13th century the quire was rebuilt. About the middle of the 14th century the south arcade of the nave was built and the south aisle added; a few years later the south transept was added. Early in the 17th century the upper part of the west tower, including most of the east half, was rebuilt, soon afterwards the south transept was probably extended towards the south to contain the Deane monuments. The church was restored in the 19th century when the north vestry, the north transept and aisle and the south porch were added. On the sill of the east window of the north aisle is a fragment of 10th-11th century limestone grave slab which was found in 1921 in the garden of the nearby Monk's Lodge.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 9325, 9326, 9327, 9329, and 29667. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Giles's Church [NAT]. <1> Walls are flint and rubble with limestone and clunch dressings; the roofs are tiled. The apse and the west tower were built in the 12th century. The quire was rebuilt early in the 13th century. About the middle of the 14th century the south arcade of the nave was built and the south aisle added; a few years later the south transept was added. 17th century and later extension. Features and fittings include: windows and window details, 12th, 13th century, about 1330 and 14th century; 13th century doorway in south aisle, probably not in situ; one of the bells is early 15th century, inscribed 15th century indents in nave; early 13th century coffin lid in quire, part missing; large 14th century piscina in east wall of south transept. The bell house is 16th century or earlier. Site Assessment = 12th century apse is noteworthy <2> An important example of a four-celled Norman church, complete with surviving apse. Originally a large west tower, nave, chancel and sanctuary but most of the middle parts have been rebuilt or altered by the addition of aisle and transept, to south is 14th century, to north is 19th century. The sanctuary arch (12th century) is turned in Roman brick. The west tower may be late Saxon in origin. Rodwell reported earthworks, possibly man-made in the churchyard. Graded AA1a by Rodwell. Site Assessment = Roman burials from under north aisle and adjoining vicarage. <3> On the sill of the east window of the north aisle is a fragment of 10th-11th century limestone grave slab which was found in 1921 in the garden of the nearby Monk's Lodge. <4> <5> A fragment of a Saxon ornamental coffin lid (pre 11th century date) was found on a rockery at Monks Lodge, Great Maplestead. The stone showed signs of having been re-used in building and it was placed, in 1923, in the parish church, a few hundred yards away, which incorporates later stone coffin lids in its fabric. <6> Pevsner dates west wall (with window) of south aisle to the early 16th century (RCHM dates this to the early 17th century). Font is perpendicular; remains of colour were found in 1929 - the panels were bright blue with thin yellow diapering. <7> Church of St Giles. Parish Church. 12th century apse and tower. 13th century chancel. 14th century chancel-arch and south aisle. Mainly 17th century south transept. 19th century north aisle, north transept, north vestry, south porch. Heavily restored 19th century. Font about 1400, traces of paint remaining. One of the bells is 1460. RCHM 1. Grade I. <8> Three photos. <9> 2007. Watching brief. External ground level was cut down about 1.5m on the north when the aisle was built. Church is in generally good order with no current threats, but should any arise both above and below ground investigation is strongly urged since the structural history may be more complicated than it appears - e.g., are all the Norman elements of one build - why is the tower so out of alignment? Tower may be late Saxon, and the very long, narrow plan may be more apparent than real if earlier aisles or transepts await recognition. The graveyard is a worthy monument and contains earthworks, possibly man-made, and good post medieval monuments. During groundworks within the church the following observations were made: Upon removing the wooden floor in the tower an area of white flooring bricks was exposed, dating to 18th/early 19th century. Just west of centre in the tower floor was a slab of Purbeck marble which is likely to have been a base for something, perhaps the font. After the brick and clay floors had been removed in the floor of the tower a flint wall foundation was exposed running north-south and dividing the nave from the tower. After further reduction of the tower floor a continuation of the flint wall foundation extending the whole way around the interior of the tower was observed. It appeared to be the foundation for the current tower and not an earlier foundation. The foundation shows that the tower and nave were one build. Disarticulated bone was uncovered 440mm below ground level. A 14th century window was uncovered behind a WW1 plaque. <10> See also: <11> - <13>