Skip to Content
Events
this week
Discounts & Offers

SPIRES & SQUIRES

Visit & be inspired. We have opened over 100 of the best across Northamptonshire and they all look forward to welcoming you.

view our 100 best churches

THE COUNTY OF SPIRES & SQUIRES.

Northamptonshire has been nicknamed “the county of Spires and Squires”. Spires there are in abundance – from Rushden in the north to King Sutton in the south. There are also churches that are the backdrop to mainstream British history. At Fotheringhay for instance you encounter Royal tombs, the birth place of Richard lll and the end of Mary, Queen of Scots. Equally at Ashby St Ledger and Whiston you come across the Catesbys and The Gunpowder Plot. There are churches attached to the county’s great country houses for Althorp think Great Brington, for Boughton, Warkton, and for Drayton the handsome church at Lowick.

Northamptonshire is fortunate in having some of the most interesting churches in the country. Please share your photos and experiences with us on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) so that, if you are in agreement, we can share these with our networks and followers.

CHURCHES FOR A PURPOSE

What may you hope to encounter? From sublime architecture to beautiful settings and some of the best sculpture in England. You cannot be disappointed. Discover Northamptonshire’s Churches below...

CHURCH TRAILS

Organs

The county boasts quite a number of historic organs and fine 20th century examples. There are two good websites which would be worth investigating Northampton and District Organist Association www.northamptonorganists.org.uk and the Nene Valley Churches Project [email protected]

DOWNLOAD TRAIL ITINERARY

CHURCH TRAILS

Sculpture

There is hardly a church in Northamptonshire that does not have good memorials. From medieval times onwards the county was dominated by landed estates whose owners commissioned tombs of often outstanding quality. These have been the subject of sculpture tours led by James Miller over the last decade and copies of his extensive notes are available by emailing [email protected]

DOWNLOAD TRAIL ITINERARY

CHURCH TRAILS

Stained Glass

As with much else Northamptonshire is fortunate in having two outstanding collections of medieval stained glass and a plentitude of later works including Victorian masterpieces. There is also an unusual amount of radiant late 20th century glass in two of it’s churches.

DOWNLOAD TRAIL ITINERARY

CHURCH TRAILS

Americans in Churches

Lots of Northamptonshire families have junior members who emigrated to the New World in the 17th Century. Their American descendants visit often to trace their roots. George Washington, the rst US President, was born into the Washington family who had migrated to America from Northamptonshire in 1656. George Washington’s ancestor, Lawrence Washington, was Mayor of Northampton on several occasions and it was he who bought Sulgrave Manor from Henry VIII in 1539. It was George Washington’s great-grandfather, John Washington, who emigrated in 1656 from Northamptonshire to Virginia. Before Washington’s ancestors moved to Sulgrave, they lived in Warton, Lancashire.

DOWNLOAD TRAIL ITINERARY

THE 100 BEST CHURCHES

Use the map below to discover the county's 100 best churches.

CHURCH RECORDS

Round off your visit with some further research. Search Northamptonshire's church records at Wootton Hall Park: Church Records

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

 

Your login details have been used by another user or machine. Login details can only be used once at any one time so you have therefore automatically been logged out. Please contact your sites administrator if you believe this other user or machine has unauthorised access.