Parish Church of St Mary and St Giles

St Mary & St Giles Church stands in the heart of Stony Stratford, a town now part of Milton Keynes in north Buckinghamshire. The building is a Grade II* listed structure, meaning it is recognised as particularly important and of more than special interest. The church is dedicated to two saints: Mary the Virgin and Giles, the patron saint of cripples. Saint Giles is said to have lived in the 7th century and devoted his life to helping the suffering. Many churches named after him were built along roadsides so weary travellers could find rest. The church belongs to the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England and has a history of traditionalist views. In 2024, its parochial church council changed its position and now follows the oversight of the Bishop of Oxford. The building itself has a Perpendicular-style tower with a clock and six bells, standing 80 feet high. The tower is the only surviving part of the original church, rebuilt in the 18th century after the chancel collapsed. Inside, the plastered groined ceiling is supported by eight iron columns cased in wood, and the east window features representations of the 12 apostles. Visitors find a lofty nave with two side aisles, a chancel, and galleries on either side. The church contains several stained-glass windows, including one dedicated to the Rev. W. T. Sankey and another to Josiah Michael and Ann Smith. Two new vestries were added in 1892, designed by E. Swinfen Harris, and the old vestry space now serves as a baptistry. The organ, originally by Henry Willis and restored in 2016, was previously in St George’s Church, Edinburgh. The surroundings include tablets high on the walls, some nearly worn away, and an oil painting near the vestry door.