 The Parish Church of St Giles
The Parish Church of St.Giles is surely Wrexham's greatest landmark.
Described in the 19th Century as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales,
it is, like the Pistyll Rhaeadr, truly a wonder to behold and not just
local exaggeration.
The church is the historic centre of the town. The street pattern
reveals how the town grew out from the boundary of the churchyard,
which is typical of medieval towns across Britain.
Wrexham had a church in the 13th Century as both the Bishop of St
Asaph and Madog ap Gruffudd, Prince of Powys gave income from the church
to the monks at Valle Crucis, near Llangollen. In 1330 the tower collapsed.
Tradition has it that the locals feared that God had punished them
for having Sunday as their market day. They decided it might be better
to have their market on Thursdays from then on. Despite these precautions,
in 1463 fire struck and much of the church was destroyed. Between 1463
-1520 the church was rebuilt perhaps with the help of a patron, Lady
Margaret Beaufort: the result a church that represents the culmination
of the medieval and Catholic church design. It records the final flowering
of religious belief before the bloodletting and intellectual struggles
of the Reformation.
St Giles' is a must for any visitor to the town. Though Oliver Cromwell
used the church as stabling for his army's horses, others have appreciated
its beauty. Both William Morris and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott stepped
into the fray to save the church from the plans of well-intentioned
clergymen in the 19th Century
The church is a place of worship but it
is a welcoming place and there are regular tours up the tower especially
during the autumn Heritage
Open Days.
Before leaving the churchyard, go to the west end of the church and
you'll find the grave of Elihu Yale, local man and benefactor of Yale
University, USA. Look out for the inscription on his grave.
Leave via the main gates on Church Street and turn left along Temple
Row heading downhill towards College Street.
Proceed to College Street >>
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