Pipe Organs of England - Pipedreams - American Public Media

PAGE 24FRIDAY, 11 MAYThe ChurchThere has been a house of prayer on this site since 1101, when Queen Matilda,wife of Henry I, founded a leper hospital here. The current church building wasbuilt in 1730-34, designed by the architect Henry Flitcroft in the Palladian style,based on the ideas of an Italian architect of the 16th century, Andrea Palladioand early Christian basilicas. The distinguished architects Sir Arthur Blomfieldand Wiliam Butterfield made modest alterations in 1875 and 1896. St. Gilesescaped the severe damage in the bombing in the Second World War, whichmerely removed most of the Victorian glass. The church underwent a majorrestoration in 1952-3 described by John Betjeman as “One of the most successfulpost-war church restorations…” Since the 1950s the area has changed enormously,with the loss of small shops and houses in St Giles’ High Street andthe construction of the massive St. Giles Court and Centre Point. The residentpopulation is now about 4,600, and the church and churchyard have becomean oasis of calm and contemplation in the midst of a vibrant commercial andcultural district.