14 Notes on the Churches 
name of S. Giles; it is simple in plan, having only nave with north 
and south aisles, chancel, and western tower, but it has many points 
of great interest. 
As is frequently the case, the oldest feature is the font, the bowl 
of which appears to be Norman work of about the middle of the 
twelfth century. This would indicate the probability of an older 
Church than the present one having stood on this site, and this 
probability receives support from the extreme narrowness of the 
aisles. The present aisles were built at a time when it was 
customary to make them of much greater width than before, and 
that this was not done here is probably due to the foundation lines 
of a Norman Church having been followed. We may, therefore, 
fairly assume that a Norman Church with aisles once stood here. 
The foundations of Norman work—at least down to the middle of 
the twelfth century—were almost invariably bad, and this doubtless 
accounts for the re-building of Churches having so often become 
necessary within so short a time of their original construction. 
The re-building here began with the side walls and arcades of the 
nave, which are probably the work of quite the end of the thirteenth 
century. The west end of the north aisle was most likely built at 
the same time, for the two buttresses there are of the work of that 
period. 
The great wave of Church building which swept over the country 
in the fifteenth century did not miss Imber, for at a date not later 
than 1420 the north and south aisles—with the very usual door in 
each wall, the square-headed windows in the side walls, and the 
pointed one in the east end—were re-built and the north porch and 
tower added. The nave was also re-roofed in the waggon-head 
form so prevalent in the south-west of England but less commonly 
met with in this county. This fifteenth century work is bold and 
massive, and it must have been no slight task in those days to get 
up to Imber the large quoin and bonding stones which may be seen 
on the outside. Owing to the peculiar treatment of the turret 
staircase the tower has jive corners, and although it has losta 
pinnacle it can still claim to possess the same number of pinnacles 
as many other towers which have been less unfortunate. It will be 
