This curious box-like Norman church stands between the very busy A45 and the grounds of Upton Hall, now a school. The church was built between 1158 and 1189 and is constructed of local stone in the Norman and Early English styles. Until 1966 it was a Chapel of Ease belonging to St. Peter’s, Northampton.
Above the South Porch is the remains of the coat of arms of the Knightley family, placed there when they added the porch to the church, before selling the estate to the Samwells in 1600. There are several memorials and hatchments mostly commemorating the Samwell family as well as effigies of Sir Richard Knightley (who died in 1537) and his wife, and a monument to the author of Oceana, James Harrington (who died in 1677). Mounds and other signs of a deserted nearby medieval village can be seen around the church.
Please refer to the Glossary for any terms in the text that you are unfamiliar with.