History

		Desborough was once a Saxon settlement. It is thought that the church stands on the site of the earlier saxon church. It was built around the year 1225. Records of incumbents go back to the year 1227.
The North doorway is at least 700 years old. The cruciform shape of the church probably owes itself to progressive extensions over two or more centuries. The north doorway has 13th century stiff foliage adorning its capitals. The carved head on the north wall aisle is medieval. The south arcade suggests a later period when economy crept in. This can be seen in the simpler column and capital. Alternatively, it may be that this was a replacement for an original which collapsed due to side thrust. The high and imposing nave roof is probably the original, but the north and south transepts and the chancel have each been heightened to allow for longer and more graceful windows. This process did, however, hide the all but two of the celestory windows. At a later date, possibly through a rich donor, a screen with rood loft was added and the chancel arch has been altered to accomodate it. The wall masonry was cut for this and a loft staircase was put in. The chancel arch itself is late 15th century. The staircase probably served as access to an upper loft or minstrel gallery.
It is said that debtors were dressed in white, compelled to attend church and to sit in disgrace in the loft for all to see. The chancel and sanctuary were partially restored during the mid-19th century at the expense of WC Clarke-Thornhill, Esq. and the new pitched tiled roof replaced the older lead-covered one. In the corner of the sanctuary is a double piscina and a triple sedilla of the 13th century. The notebook of Captain Symonds, a Quartermaster in the King's army records his overnight stay with his troop of horses on 5th June 1645 on the way to the Battle of Naseby. He records two old and very large windows on the east side of the chancel and the west side of the belfry. The former showed "Ayure, six lions - rampant or, Gules, six mascules or (Quincy)"; the latter "Argent, a cheveron gules between three mascules ayure." Each had "without a fleur-de-lys or, a bordure gules."
	A statue of St Giles was gifted to the church by the Haycock family in memory of their parents. It stands in the corner of the sanctuary upon a stone bracket supported by a carved stone grinning head. The statue, carved from pear wood is the work of Hans-Engelo, the famous woodcarver of ecclesiastical art of Oberammagau in Bavaria. It is a copy of the Royal Academy painting of St Giles by Reubens. It replaces a similar figure believed to have been removed during the reformation. A small cupboard, the aumbry, is built into the wall on the north side of the sanctuary. It originally contained the Communion plate and chalice.
The altar was a gift from the Woolmer family and is built of Clisham stone quarried in the north of the county. It was moved forward in 1994 to allow the officiating minister to face the congregation during Holy Communion. The silver candlesticks and vases were included in the gift and were designed by Mr Knight, the noted Midlands silversmith and artist. The stained glass windows speak for themselves as does the small stone plaque on the east wall. The old English lettered notice board to the Illiffe family is well worth reading. At the base of the chancel arch are three massive stones unearthed in the old vicarage garden. The largest of these is covered on two sides with Saxon scrollwork and a carving said to represent Daniel in the lion's den. The vestry was constructed in the mid-19th century and may have been part of the restoration work carried out to the chancel. The pinnacled church tower and spire is 137 feet (42 metres) high and dates from the 15th century. The present archway leading into the tower was put in at the same time. This is another indication of extensions over the years.
The tower and spire are constructed from either Weldon grey stone which is local or from Barnack stone from further north in the county. Much of the rest of the church is constructed from mostly local iron and sand stones bedded with weak lime mortar. Some of the walls are over 2'6" (77cms) thick. The windows in the south transept are different in design from some of the north transept windows. The large south window, geometrical curvilinear in design, is possibly mid-14th century. Part of a medieval shrine can be seen and, in the corner, there is a piscina for disposing of holy water. The shrine has been slightly damaged. It is said that this was caused by Cromwellian soldiers and their horses lodged in the church on their way back from the Battle of Naseby. The nave has heavy roof beams and the dates can be seen when they were replaced after repair. The carpenter has carved his initials into the woodwork. The south aisle has a fine example of modern embroidery begun by Stella marlow (1915-1965) and finished by Mrs Grace Langham. It was presented to St Giles in 1978 by Mrs GE Marlow. The Lady Chapel was inaugurated during the incumbency of Reverend Oswald Edwards. It replaces a much earlier altar. The rood screen was fixed in the chancel arch until 1977. It was removed to its present position to open up the interior of the church and to close off the Lady Chapel. It is late 15th century with tracery above. Local craftsmen restored it after the First World War and added a wooden cross. Small hole sin the panels were probably intended for the hearing of confessions. The south west stained glass windows were installed in 1994 to commemorate the 70th anniverasy of the Desborough Royal British Legion and the Desborough Royal Air Force Station. The former was donated by the Britsh Legion and the latter by Mr and Mrs Jim Scott. This area of the church is fondly known by church members as the "Hallelujah Corner." The north transept windows are in early English style. The glass has recently been renewed as the old glass leaded windows were draughty and insecure. It was thought the glass taken out was 15th century, but glass experts confirmed it as 19th century. Before the advent of organ music part of the west end of the nave had a minstrel gallery. The exact position is not known, but Whellan's Directory of Northamptonshire dated 1874 states that a fine belfry arch had been brought to view by the removal of an unsightly gallery. The font and surrounding panelling are dedicated to Lizzie Eva Bird, Church School Headmistress and Girls' Bible Class Headteacher. Painted on the wall are the Ten Commandments, the creed and the lord's prayer. The list of former rectors and vicars dating from 1227 is here as well. Various inscriptions record the charities benefitting from giving by the church. Until the later part of the 20th century 20 loaves were placed on a table near the font on Trinity Sunday and at Christmas for the poor people of the parish. Nowadays the Harvest Festival provides the opportunity to distribute food to the needy of the parish and at Christmas the Toy Service sees the children of the parish giving toys to be distributed by the Childrens' Society to children in their care.
		The organ console and pipes were a gift from Andrew Carnegie, the American millionaire. They were originally sited between the choir stalls and the vestry. In 1951 they were positioned in the bell tower. A new screen, a gift from the Hodges family in memory of their parents, was erected and dedicated in 1961 and the ringing chamber was re-sited one floor up. Because of the distance between organist and choir, the organ console was moved to its present position in 1967. The bell tower originally had five bells. The plaque in the bell tower commemorates the dedication of three additional bells earlier this century. The bells were re-hung on steel girders and ball bearings were fitted to each by the Loughborough bellfoundry firm, Taylors. In the past it was traditional for the verger to toll the bells after the death of a town resident. He would toll each in turn - three times for a man, twice for a woman and once for a child. The sanctus bell was originally hung above the roof of the chancel and the sexton chimed it during Holy Communion. The old record chest originally contained old marriage registers and other ancient documents dating back to 1570. These were removed in 1975 to the Norhamptonshire County Archives. The vicar and two churchwardens used to hold a key each to chest padlocks. All three had to be present to open the chest. In a glass display case near the north door is an ancient register dated 1648. It was found in the old record chest. The binding is contemporary to the writing inside and is remarkable for its apparently unique roll used to decorate it. The binding is signed "GL" and this appears on no other known binding. Many binders' rolls bear Tudor emblems, the pomegranate, rose and fleur-de-lys. Many of them, like this one, belong curiously enough to the Stuart period. No other bears an anchor which appears below the binder's initials and may well be a personal allusion to him. As far as we know, the binder is also unique in having serrated instead of straight edges.

Whellan's Directory (see earlier reference) records that the parishioners raised £1500 by subscriptions and donations for the restoration of the church. The severe thunderstorm of 9th August 1843 probably prompted the work. The church tower and clock were badly damaged and the door locks were broken by the blast. The exposed steel building tie rods from this time are still very much in evidence. In the fields east of the church the grave of a Christian Saxon lady was found. It contained a beautiful necklace of 37 gold beads and a pendant cross of gold. In other fields graves containing bones indicating that the bodies had been laid with their feet to the east in the early Christian tradition were found. These burials are believed to have been between 500 and 650 AD. In another grave in fields west of the church a bronze mirror was found. This had an exquisite spiral design of Celtic art froma much earlier Celtic race who lived in Desborough. A number of shallow paupers' graves have been unearthed outside the boundary of the churchyard.On 7th September 1969 the was inaugurated in the presence of the Bishop of Peterborough and the Chairman of the Oxford District.