St Giles Church is the spiritual home and communities heart of Sheldon, there have been churches on this site for around 1000 years.
The current building has occupied the site since 1294 and is one of only 3 churches built in the middle ages in the Birmingham area.
Our beautiful sandstone building has seen much during its history, with many thousands baptised into the church family at it, perhaps you are one of them.
Some of it’s more unusual ‘features’ include deep marks on the north side of the bell tower where Roundhead soldiers used the walls as a ‘whetstone’ to sharpen their pikes during the English civil war. We also have a very rare and unusual pentagonal window, a shape more commonly associated with the occult.
St Giles also has a special place in the missionary world as the home of Rev Dr Thomas Bray. His work started the Anglican missionary movement over 300 years ago when he brought the Anglican Church to the shores of America.
Our Bell tower was erected around 1460; the builders’ invoice is still carved in to one of the pillars. The tower houses 8 bells and we have 2 teams of ‘adult’ bell ringers and a team of junior campanologists.
You can find information about Rev Dr Thomas Bray, Our Church Tower, the octagonal window and much more on our website.
With its fascinating history St Giles is clearly a church with a considerable amount of special interest, but what has always made St Giles a special place is its people. Unfortunately the best way to experience this is not on the web but the old fashioned way, in person. So why not take the time and come to see us one Sunday, we can assure you of a warm welcome.