OXFORD DIOCESE PILGRIM PROJECT
St Giles, Stoke Poges
There has been a church at Stoke Poges since Saxon times. The church today is mainly Norman, with an Elizabethan side chapel integrated by the Victorians. For many the church is important because of its links with the poet Thomas Gray (1716-1771), who wrote his ‘Elegy written in a Country Churchyard’ here and is buried in the churchyard. Forty generations of Christians have come to the site of St Giles Church to worship over the past thousand years. You will enter through the wooden porch.
remember their godchildren and grandchildren.
The two great oak timbers in the front have stood since the early 14th century. Conducting
In the past, everyone was expected to attend
business transactions here was a sign of good
church, from the very rich to the very poor.
faith up to the middle of the 16th Century. Until
During the 13th century the only seats in the
the middle of the 16th century most marriage
church were against the wall where the weak
ceremonies were performed here. Pray for those
would be allowed to sit down. The North Aisle
who have been married in this church. Pray for
was added during that time to accommodate
those preparing for marriage today.
the growing number of people who attended. The current pews were added to the church at
When you step inside the church notice the
the end of the 19th century. Pray for all those
massive Norman columns which support the
who worship in this church today. Pray for the
arches. Notice the font: although not the original,
church in your own community.
it has always stood opposite the entrance to symbolize that baptism gives admittance
The tomb within the left side of the Chancel
to the church. Pray for new beginnings: for
wall is that of Sir John de Molyns and is in the
yourself, a friend or a situation that concerns
form of an Easter Sepulchre. On Good Friday
you. Godparents and grandparents may like to
the priest would take the cross from the altar,
wrap it in black cloth and lay it on the tomb.
In the churchyard stands the Yew Tree under
There it would remain throughout Good Friday
which, tradition says, Thomas Gray wrote his
and Holy Saturday as a sign that Jesus died and
‘Elegy’, one of the best known poems in the
was buried. On Easter Day, the people found
English language. Gray’s final resting-place
the tomb empty and the cross back on the altar
is under the east window of the Hastings
surrounded by lighted candles. Give thanks for
Chapel. A tablet in the wall opposite the tomb
the empty tomb and our Easter hope.
records his burial ‘in the same tomb - 1771 Thomas Gray, Esq., was buried August 6th’. A
The first visible part of the Church as you came
monument designed by the architect Wyatt
up the path is constructed of red brick and
was erected in 1799 adjacent to the church.
stone with Tudor-style mullioned windows.
Inscriptions on the monument celebrate his
The ‘Hastings Chapel’ was built for the inmates
poem and commemorate his death. In 1921,
of an Almshouse which then stood quite near
the monument, with three acres of land, was
the Church, founded in 1557. You can see the
bought by two local residents, and presented
arms of Lord Hastings over the outside door.
to the National Trust. Give thanks for the gift of
Give thanks for those who give generously to
creativity, for poets, writers and artists, whose
alleviate the suffering of the poor. Pray for those
talents enrich our lives.
who in need of re-housing today.
OXFORD DIOCESE PILGRIM PROJECT
Oxford Diocese Pilgrim Project: St Giles, Stoke Poges SL2 4NZ
You might also like to visit other nearby churches in the Pilgrim Project:
Website: www.stokepogeschurch.org
Holy Trinity, Cookham Stanley Spencer SS Michael and Mary Magdalene, Easthampstead Windows by Morris and Burne-Jones
PILGRIMAGE PRAYER Pilgrim God, You are our origin and our destination. Travel with us, we pray, in every pilgrimage of faith, and every journey of the heart. Give us the courage to set off, the nourishment we need to travel well, and the welcome we long for at our journey’s end. So may we grow in grace and love for you and in the service of others. through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford
Illustrations by Brian Hall © Diocese of Oxford