The installation of a new, underfloor central heating system in 2014 revealed that there was a void underneath the organ, and quinquennial inspections have emphasised with increasing urgency the need for repair. The decision to replace the old organ with a new purpose-built instrument offered an opportunity to combine these necessary repair works with an improvement of the kitchen and toilet facilities at the West end, improved access and safety measures to the tower, and a programme of redecoration for the church building. The total costs for this work, including the cost of a new organ, have been estimated at around £900,000. The parish has been engaged in an active fundraising campaign since the conclusion of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The fundraising effort includes the church’s own resources, a fundraising programme of concerts and community events (most notably our Jazz at St Giles’ series), applications to charitable trusts and contributions from major donors. St Giles’ also participates in the annual Ride and Stride event.
The proposed programme of works has been divided into a series of packages, enabling us to seek funding over a longer period. The completion of the West end works, including an improved kitchen area and improved toilet facilities, marks the conclusion of the first stage of our project. The next stage of our fabric work will focus on the necessary repairs to the burial vault, on top of which the new organ will sit.
We are most grateful to the OHCT advisors for their help and suggestions in organizing our fundraising. Thanks to their generous support, we received a grant of £16,000 in the summer of 2024 to help fund the first tranche of work in the west end of the church. With the help of OHCT, we have upgraded and improved our toilet facilities, including the provision of a dedicated disabled toilet. We have also made improvements to our kitchen: rationalizing the division of space between culinary activities and flower arranging, and generally improving capacity to support catering at major services and events. This work, carried out at a cost of £49,500 was completed on schedule in June 2025.
HISTORY
This Grade I listed building sits in the centre of the city at the North end of St Giles. . The church and its churchyard are important and significant features in the streetscape. It was first recorded in 1120 in the register of the Diocese of Lincoln. The present building was enlarged and rebuilt mainly at the end of the 12th century and over the 13th century, with the nave clerestory added in the late 15th century. The building is well described in Pevsner: Buildings of England: Oxfordshire,1974, pp. 292-3, as well as in Vol. IV of the Victoria History of the County of Oxford, 1979, pp. 381-3, and in Barrington-Ward: St. Giles’ Church, Oxford; an illustrated guide, 2013.
