St Giles, Barham

The church of St Giles itself is small but beautiful, set behind a hedge in well maintained grounds and surrounded with trees. There was no mention of a church here at the time of the Domesday surver in 1086. It is thought that a church was first built here towards the end of the 12th century.   The chancel and the chancel arch were both rebuilt in or around 1300. The church was restored in 1850, when the porch and the wall of the north aisle were rebuilt. The bell cote, at the western end of the church was built in 1850, and this houses a single bell, which was made by Mears of London in 1841. According to some internet research the inscription on this bell has been wiped out, and I am thinking that this bell was originally cast for another church.   Further restoration work was completed here in Edwardian times, the west wall and the porch being rebuilt in 1903. Further work was undertaken in 1905, when the chancel was restored.   The west end of this church is very heavily butressed. There is obviously a subsidance problem here, with graves leaning over at all angles. The church grounds are kepy very tidy, and there are a few intricately carved headstones, especially in the area close to the south porch, which would have been fabulous pieces of work in their day.

Barham Cambridgeshire