Father Robert Coates found inspiration in Ypres

Father Robert Coates found inspiration in Ypres and brought it back for his congregation at St Augustine's church.

He walked the trenches at the battlefield near Passchendale in Belgium and was struck by his reaction to a tree which had been blown apart in 1917 and preserved as a war memorial.

Father Coates said: "It inspired me to think of the wood of the Cross.

"I visited the museum at Sanctuary Wood ... and I saw the image of Christ of The Trenches, that is the image of Christ on the Cross. And that inspired me to think about Good Friday, so I came back to church on the following Sunday and I encouraged members of the congregation, if they didn't already have one, to buy a crucifix."

This week 25 crosses were blessed and given out at the end of morning service.

Father Coates said he had been "very touched" by the response of the congregation.

He added: "It is often looking back over the years that people return to their faith and it is often something physical that will prompt them to do that - like a tree or crucifix."