A warm welcome to
St Giles & St Matthew's Churches
Welcome to St Giles & St Matthew's Churches
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“Love one another, as I have loved you...”
[John 13:34]
Hello and welcome to all wanting to find out more about our two churches: St Giles Parish Church in Killamarsh and St Matthew's Parish Church in Renishaw.
Our aim is to be friendly and open places of worship which welcome members of our community of all ages and to play an active role in the life of our villages. We strive to 'Be Christ in Church and Community" as Jesus taught us to "Love one another, as I have loved you."
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​Read our latest newsletter: News from the Pews, April edition.
Note: Warm Spaces sessions finished on Tuesday 22nd April
& will restart on Tuesday 2nd September 2025
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New: see what's been happening at St Giles now the bells have been refurbished!
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Year 1 and Year 2 pupils from St Giles School visit St Giles Church
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Click here to view the Instagram reel
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​Refurbished St. Giles Church Bells to Host Prestigious Newman Cup Contest
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They fell silent for four years – now they’re back with a ringing endorsement!
The newly restored historic bells of St. Giles Church in Killamarsh are set to host their first major event — the Newman Cup Contest on Saturday, 17th May 2025
This prestigious 6-bell striking competition, organised by the DDA Chesterfield District, is a major success for the church following the £76,450 National Heritage Lottery Fund Grant that funded the bells' restoration.
The project aimed to bring back the ringing of ‘Killamarsh Treble Bob’ – a bellringing method named after the village and which is now popular worldwide.
The restoration project rebuilt key mechanical components to make the bells easier to ring so that new ringers can be trained. It has trained new bell ringers to continue the tradition of ringing ‘Killamarsh Treble Bob’ at St Giles, captured oral histories of past and present bell ringers, and hosted community activities to celebrate the church’s heritage.
The Newman Cup Contest will now be the first major event to showcase the fully restored bells, and organisers hope it will inspire more people to take up bell ringing. People are welcome to come and hear the bellringing at the event.
The competition schedule is as follows:
10am – Draw (determining the order the teams ring in)
10:15am onwards – competition ringing (each team has a 20-minute slot, including a short practice followed by their test piece)
General ringing while the judge finalises the scores.
About 12:00pm – Results announced.
The competition judge will be positioned in a separate location where they can hear the bells clearly but remain undisturbed.
Sue Hall, from the DDA Bellringers Association said:
"It’s wonderful to see the bells of St. Giles come back to life in such a significant way. Last year they rang to raise money for the Bell A-Peal for Ashgate Hospice. That, and this year's event are both proof that the investment in our heritage has paid off, and we hope it will encourage more people to take up the amazing art of bell ringing, which is a fun activity for people from all backgrounds and of any faith or none, and for all ages from 9 to adult."
Visit www.bellringingderbyshire.org.uk for more information about bellringing in Derbyshire, and for contacts to have a go.
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​Warm Spaces sessions
The last session was held on Tuesday 22nd April and the sessions will
re-start on Tuesday 2nd September 2025.
at St Giles Church Hall​ ​
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The sessions offer a warm welcome, free refreshments, an opportunity to meet new and old friends. If you need help we can signpost you to the right people with the right help and expertise.
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This initiative has been funded by
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​Click here for an Introduction & Guide
to the Heritage of St Giles Church
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Victorian Font relocated
As you approach the church, you will see a font erected near the memorial window. This font was installed in church in the 1840s by Revd E H Smith, the first Rector of Killamarsh who was Rector 1843-1887, to replace the original Norman font. The Norman font was found by his successor, Revd Francis Metcalfe, being used by a cobbler in Ashley Lane to soak his leather. It was bought back for 30 shillings (£1.50) and erected in the churchyard. It was subsequently re-installed in church in 1944 by Revd John Milner and the Victorian font stored in the church undercroft before being brought back during the incumbency of Revd Roy Bradshaw. In 2018 the Victorian font was removed from the church building during a refurbishment project and in 2021 we received permission to have it erected in the memorial garden adjacent to the memorial window. Tablets inside the memorial window list the names of all those who gave their lives in two World Wars, many of whom would probably have been baptised in the Victorian font. The font is a significant part of the history and heritage of St Giles Church and has been re-erected in memory of all those who were baptised in it for almost 100 years.
The font was installed in its new position by Daynes Monumental Ltd of Killamarsh, who are memorial masons, designing and installing new memorials, as well as refurbishing older ones. We are grateful to Gary Daynes for his generosity in making the arrangements for the installation
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Father Georges in Madagascar
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News from Fr Georges and Eveline, Madagascar
Dear Reverend Canon Helen and Fr Michael GUEST.
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Dear friends at St Gile's church Killamarsh.
Dear friends at St Matthew's church Renishaw.
At this Christmas time we are very pleased and greet you with all our best wishes :
MERRY CHISTMAS 2023
AND
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024
“God loved the world so much that he gave His only SON ,that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life “ John 3 : 16
From : Fr Georges and Eveline
The Congregation Antananarivo MADAGASCAR
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=
Dear friends.
Also, we are very delighted to send you some update news with some pictures of our daily life.
The political situation seems calm. We have elected our President. He is the last one ( Andry RAJOELINA ).
Nowadays, we have a good rain all over the country. So ,we are starting to plant rice. We have some good fruits in the fields. Some pigs are very fat and we have sold them to get more money and more meat to feed the people…Everything is on the good way. There is a hopeful success.
Again, we send our great thanks indeed for your last donation… We appreciate very much your generosity…
With warmest Regards.
Fr Georges and Eveline.
The Congregation Antananarivo MADAGASCAR
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St Giles Patronage Scheme
has been launched. If you are interested in becoming a patron of St Giles Church, please click here for details.
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Thank you for your help
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Heritage Project
St Giles Church, Killamarsh, has completed a major project to carry out a programme of repairs and refurbishment to the church building. This has involved renovation and redecoration of the interior, new external drainage and stonework repairs. In addition, new toilet facilities have been installed, which are easily accessible to disabled visitors. The main refurbishment work received financial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, without which the project could not have gone ahead. Further financial support was received from the Derby Diocese Raymond Ross Fund towards the cost of the new toilet facilities. Completion of the project means that the church will continue to be a central part of the community in the years ahead.
