St Giles Church

Overview

St Giles Church, also sometimes called Hartington Church, is a Church of England parish church in Hartington, in the Peak District National Park. The church is open every day and welcomes visitors who can look around for free.

It’s a great place to visit for couples, solo travellers, or families with children, and is a good indoor activity for a rainy day in Derbyshire.

There’s plenty to look at inside the church, including brass monuments to local people of importance, memorial stained-glass windows, and four piscinae. History-lovers and people interested in architecture will find it a worthwhile stop during their explorations of Hartington.

You can visit for private prayers, join a service for worship, or just have a look around. The church is also a venue for regular events for the community, including live music performances and poetry evenings.

St Giles Church services and events

St Giles has a church service every Sunday. These include Holy Communion and morning praise. There is also a pop-in prayer service on a Monday afternoon. Special events are held throughout the year in conjunction with the Christian calendar.

Performances like live music concerts and poetry readings take place in the church from April until October.

St Giles Church opening times

Open every day between 10am and 4pm (5pm during British Summer Time).

Features of St Giles Church

St Giles Church is set up on a hill, overlooking the village of Hartington below it. There’s a beautiful view of the stone-built village buildings below.

The church building is very interesting, with some parts of it dating back to the 13th century. The tower was added in the 1400s and is built of red ashlar sandstone, and the walls were extended upwards. In the Middle Ages, a double-storeyed porch was added, an unusual feature for a church of this type.

The outside of the building is decorated with stone gargoyles. Some of these carved figures still have their spouts, which were designed to direct rainwater off the roof away from the building’s walls to prevent their erosion. The church is set in a graveyard.

Inside St Giles Church, there’s a chancel, a nave, an aisle, and transepts. The tower has church bells and a clock.

There are also memorials in the form of windows, brass, and monuments dedicated to various local people and previous vicars. These include:

Ann Ratcliffe
Sir Hugh Bateman of Hartington Hall
Richard Bateman of Middleton Hall
Mr Flint
Rev. Augustus Wirgman and Jane Elizabeth

There are also two brass plaques commemorating the fallen soldiers of the two World Wars.

Is St Giles Church accessible?

St Giles Church has some accessible features:

An entrance ramp is available upon request
Assistance dogs are welcome
Hearing loops available
Large print hymn books are available on request.

The church is currently fundraising to build an accessible toilet in the South Transept of St Giles Church. There are no toilet facilities in the church at the moment.

St Giles Church Hartington history

St Giles Church dates back to the mid-13th century and had one of the largest parishes in England, covering over 24,000 acres. The handwritten parish register dates back to 1610, but the early entries are incomplete, and it is very worn and damaged. It’s thought that before this church, an Anglo Saxon church stood on the same site.

The church was restored in 1858. The three original bells were replaced over 25 years later in 1884 and then again in 2007 when a ring of eight bells was added to the belfry.

Bell ringing practice is usually held on a Tuesday evening between 7.30pm and 9pm, so if you’re staying at YHA Hartington Hall on a Tuesday, you can wander down to the village to listen. The church also welcomes visitors during this time.

Other churches were built in the 19th century to serve the surrounding communities, and now St Giles Church serves just the immediate village. The church falls under the Diocese of Derby.

How to get to St Giles Church from YHA Hartington Hall

St Giles Church is just 0.3 miles from YHA Hartington Hall. The most convenient way to get there is on foot.

On foot: From the Youth Hostel, head to Hall Bank road and turn right. Follow the road down until it crosses the B5054 road and becomes Hide Lane. St Giles Church is on the right here, not far after the crossing.

This Hartington self-guided walking route is a circular walk from YHA Hartington Hall, which takes in the highlights of the village. The church is included on the route. It’s a fantastic way to get familiar with Hartington.

By car: Driving to the church takes just two minutes. There is some on-street parking available on Hide Lane, or you can park at the free car park in the marketplace.