St Mary & St Giles Church, Stony Stratford facts for kids

St Mary and St Giles' Church, Stony Stratford
St Mary and St Giles Church of England Church
52°3′25.2″N 0°51′12.9″W / 52.057000°N 0.853583°W / 52.057000; -0.853583
Location	Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
History
Dedication	St Mary the Virgin and St Giles
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Architect(s)	Francis Hiorne
Completed	1776
Administration
Parish	Stony Stratford with Calverton
Deanery	Milton Keynes
Archdeaconry	Buckingham
Diocese	Oxford

St Mary & St Giles Church is a parish church located in Stony Stratford, a town within Milton Keynes in northern Buckinghamshire, England. It is a special place of worship for the local community.

History of the Church

The church you see today is named after two important saints: Saint Mary the Virgin and St Giles. Saint Giles is known as the patron saint of people with disabilities. He was born in Athens around 645 AD. Even though he was wealthy, he chose to help those who were suffering.

Many churches named after Saint Giles were built near roads. This was so tired travelers could easily find a place to rest and find peace. People started to honor Saint Giles in the British Isles after he founded an abbey in Saint-Gilles-du-Gard. His tomb there became a popular place for pilgrimages. It was also a stop for crusaders on their way to the Holy Land and for pilgrims traveling the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Saint Giles is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints believed to help people in need.

The Church Today

St Mary & St Giles Church follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England. This means it has some practices that are similar to the Roman Catholic Church. For a long time, the church had a special arrangement regarding its leadership. However, in March 2024, the church decided to return to the direct oversight of the Bishop of Oxford.

Church Design and Features

The church has a strong, tall tower built in the Perpendicular Gothic style. This style is known for its straight lines and large windows. The tower has a clock and a set of six bells. It stands about 80 feet (24 meters) tall from the ground to the top.

In 1757, the eastern part of the church, called the chancel, was in bad condition and had to be rebuilt. Then, around 1776, most of the church was rebuilt by an architect named Francis Hiorne. The only part of the original church that remains is the tower.

The inside of the church was updated in 1866. It is a tall building with a main area called the nave, two side aisles, the chancel, and galleries on both sides. A beautiful feature is the plastered ceiling, which has a curved, vaulted design. This ceiling is held up by eight columns made of iron, which are covered in wood.

In 1892, new rooms called vestries were added on the north side of the chancel. These rooms were designed by E. Swinfen Harris. The old vestry, which was at the base of the tower, was then turned into a baptistry. This is where baptisms take place.

There are also memorial tablets high up in each corner of the church. One large, oval tablet above the organ is very old and hard to read. It remembers Leonard Sedgewick, who used to be the vicar (a type of priest) there.

A look inside St Mary and St Giles' Church.

The east window is very beautiful. It shows images of the 12 apostles, with their names written below. This window was put in place to remember Rev. W. T. Sankey, who passed away in 1875. There are two other large stained-glass windows. The one on the south side remembers Josiah Michael and Ann Smith. Six smaller stained-glass windows are located under the galleries. These remember former members of the church, including Rev. J. Spark, who was a curate (another type of priest). He left money in his will to help build the new vestries.

Near the vestry door, there is an old oil painting in a gold frame. Above it is a golden dove. An inscription explains that this painting shows a scene from the Bible. The golden dove used to be on the church's pulpit in the 1700s and 1800s. This display was put there by William Osborn Boyes, who was a churchwarden for many years and died in 1896.

The church is recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical building.

Church Organ

The first record of an organ in St Mary & St Giles Church dates back to 1812. An organ made by Henry Lincoln was installed then. It was later updated by other builders in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

After a small fire damaged the old organ, the current organ was installed in 1967. This organ was originally built by a famous organ maker known as ‘Father’ Henry Willis. Later, more pipes and a new console (the part with the keys and stops) were added by Henry Willis III. The organ has been carefully restored in different stages, with the work completed in 2016. It is now looked after by Harrison & Harrison, who maintain it. This organ used to be in St George's Church in Edinburgh before that church closed. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Church Grounds

In the churchyard of St Giles, you can find many old gravestones. At the ends of the family burial place of William Boyes, there are flat gravestones for Mark Boyes and Elizabeth Boyes, who died in 1712. These stones were moved from the old churchyard of St. Mary Magdalene, where their bodies were originally buried.