The Parish Church of St Giles, Shermanbury

The mound on which the church and Shermanbury Place stands was doubtless also the site of the Anglo-Saxon burh, or fortification, which gives the village the second half of its name. The existence of an ecclesiola, or small church, at Salmonesberie in 1086 is mentioned by Domesday Book. Some 12th-century carved stones discovered c. 1900 may have been from this church, but the oldest parts of the present structure date from the 13th century. By 1288 it had a rector, presented by Robert de Buci in his capacity as lord of the manor of Shermanbury. Later lords of the manor continued to hold the advowson until the 20th century. St Giles was never a good living, being valued at £4 6s. 8d. in 1291…

The church presents a mixture of styles. The rendered walls of the nave – there are no aisles – are largely 13th century, and feature on both the north and south sides blocked medieval doorways. The piscina is 13th century. The west end, however, including the wooden bell-turret, was rebuilt in either 1747 or 1836, and the porch front in 1885. The chancel in its present form is a product of the 1710 restoration, and the brick-built vestry dates from the 19th century. The gallery was built in 1748, and was altered in 1836 (probably) and 1927, the purpose of the 1927 work being to accommodate an organ. The church's windows, originally built as lancets, were given square heads in the 18th…

In 1978 the parish of Shermanbury was united with those of Henfield and Woodmancote in a single benefice. The church was threatened with closure in 2002 but this danger has been fended off, partly with the help of the Friends of St Giles', Shermanbury, an organisation founded in December 2007 to promote the repair and renovation of the church building. The Friends have been responsible for, among other things, raising the funds needed to replace the wooden bell tower in 2011. Services are held at St Giles at 11.15 a.m. on the first and third Sundays of every month, but at other times the church is normally closed to visitors.