Church of St Giles in the Wood

South face of the Parish Church of St Giles in the Wood

	St Giles in the Wood is a Grade II listed parish church. The church has its origins in 1309 when several landowners petitioned the Bishop of Exeter to construct a new church as St Michael's in Great Torrington was too distant. The present church dates from the 15th century, however, extensive restoration occured in 1862 with subsequent alterations in 1879 and 1987. The clock was installed in the tower in 1879 with faces on the east and west sides.
	Mounted on the outside south wall of the tower is a badly worn tablet monument. In style the tablet is similar to that of Mary Risdon's late 17th century monument inside the church. The monument is mentioned in a 1849 report ("inscription no longer legible"), so its position here predates the 1862 restoration of the church.The coat of arms is that of the Rolle family and the name Rolle followed by the words Anno Domi can be faintly seen.
	Carved above the door to the north transept are the arms of Mark Rolle of Stevenstone and Bicton (1835-1907). Mark George Kerr Trefusis, the son of the 19th Lord Clinton, inherited the Rolle Estate from his aunt's husband John Rolle (1751-1842), on the condition that he change his name to Rolle. The arms combine elements of the arms of the Rolle and Clinton families, and bears the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense. Mark Rolle financed the 1862 restoration of the church.
	The east window is flanked by commandment tablets of marble framed with alabaster. The alter rail is brass and the chancel holds oak stalls carved with some Gothic ornamentation. A low beer stone wall with marble coping screens the chancel.
	The pulpit is of alabaster resting on marble columns and dates from the 1862 restoration.
	This window at the east end of the south aisle commemorates John, Lord Rolle of Stevenstone (1751-1842). From the 16th century until the early 20th century much of the parish of St Giles in the Wood was owned by the Rolle family. Two members of the family were elevated to the peerage: Henry Rolle in 1748 and his grandson John Rolle in 1796.
	This window was dedicated in 1896 by Lady Gertrude Jane Douglas (1838-1924), wife of Mark Rolle, in memory of her father, mother, sister and brother. Gertrude was the daughter of George Sholto Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton (1789-1856) and Frances Theodora Rose (?-1879).
	This window, located in the north transept, was dedicated in 1886 by Robert Vodden (1815-1893) in memory of his wife Eliza Matthews (1814-1881) and three of their children: Ann (1841-1872), Thomas (1854-1883) and Fanny (1830-1884).
	Most of the church windows contain grisaille glass installed to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897.
	The north transept of the church contains the Vodden memorial window, the late 17th century monument to Mary Risdon and the early 18th century monument to John Kiff (1642-1712).
	In 1987, part of the south aisle of the church was converted into the Mary Withecombe Chapel. As part of the renovation the effigy of Thomas Chafe, which had "lanquised" in the bell tower, was restored and moved into the chapel.
	Two rows of back-to-back headstones form a large L in the south-west corner of the churchyard. Ivy, nettles and brambles can make reading the gravestones quite difficult.
	Several gravestones at St Giles in the Wood bear an epitath only with no indication of name of date. This late 18th century stone is inscribed with a message from a husband to his wife and children.
	Another gravestone without indication of name or date. This slate monument dates from the mid 18th century and bears the epitath, "IN Blooming days it Pleased God By Death to smite me with his Rod. Therefore Dear Friends content with rest And hope in Christ I am ever Blest."
	This cross is in memory of the Honorable Mark Rolle of Stevenstone and Bicton. Mark George Kerr Trefusis, the second son of Charles Rodolph TREFUSIS, 19th Lord (Baron) Clinton (1791-1866) and Lady Elizabeth Georgiana KERR (?-1871) was born on 13 Nov 1835 in Huish, Devon. He changed his name to Rolle by Royal License on 30 Jan 1852 as a condition of the will of his uncle, John, Baron Rolle (1751-1842). Mark Rolle died on 27 Apr 1907 and is buried in Huish, Devon.
	Opposite the lych gate on the east side of the churchyard sits a row of Victorian cottages. The cottages date from 1877 and were constructed by Mark Rolle as part of a project that saw the renovation of the church in 1862 and the rebuilding of the manor house of Stevenstone.

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