Churches

For many centuries, the vast majority of the population of Northamptonshire have crossed the thresholds of some of its many churches, even if only on special occasions. Each church has its own tale to tell and most have provided a key focus for their particular community. A large proportion of the structures retain features from the Middle Ages or even earlier.

This page includes books and articles about numerous individual places of worship. Other items explain how parishes were run and discuss wider changes that have influenced the roles of church buildings. Information about individual clergy, Anglican and otherwise, can be found on the Clergy page.

At the foot of this page are details of the medieval wall paintings that survive in some churches within the county. More about that subject in general can be found on the Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church site.

Separate pages showcase:

• Nonconformist denominations and some of their many chapels in the county.
• Northampton including the churches in the town.

A Churchcrawler's Guide to Parish Churches around Peterborough

Robin Peel hosts websites which showcase profusely illustrated descriptions of churches in a large area centred on Peterborough. They extend into the historical counties of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland and can be found at:

• A Churchcrawler's Guide to Parish Churches around Peterborough (first site)
• A Churchcrawler's Guide to Parish Churches around Peterborough (second site)

The pages for the 45 individual churches in Northamptonshire that are covered are indicated in the following list by the phrase 'see Churchcrawler's Guide'.

Places of worship in particular places

• Aldwinckle All Saints Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew.
• Aldwincle All Saints - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Aldwincle St Peter - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Apethorpe - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Arthingworth The Restoration of St Andrew’s Church, Arthingworth 1871-3: A Contest Between the Architect and the Incumbent by Bruce Bailey [2013] (page 44)
• Aston-le-Walls Northants Fonts and Plato's Cosmos by Lionel Wall Discussion of the iconography of Norman fonts with well-illustrated sections about those at Aston-le-Walls, Braybrooke, Mears Ashby and Thornby.
• Badby Archaeological observation, investigation and recording at the Church of St Mary the Virgin Badby, Northamptonshire January-March 2018 by Stephen Morris
• Barnwell - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Blatherwycke - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Boughton Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew.
• Braybrooke Northants Fonts and Plato's Cosmos by Lionel Wall Discussion of the iconography of Norman fonts with well-illustrated sections about those at Aston-le-Walls, Braybrooke, Mears Ashby and Thornby.
• Brigstock - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Brixworth Past History and Present Research at All Saints' Church Brixworth by David Parsons [1979] (page 61)
• Brixworth The Basilica and a Description and History of the Basilican Church of Brixworth by Charles Frederic Watkins [1867]
• Brixworth All Saints church Extensively illustrated account of a visit to the church, its history and architectural features. There is an opportunity to compare pictures of the Saxon staircase at Brixworth with others of that era at Brigstock and Houghton on the Hill.
• Bulwick - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Canons Ashby Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew.
• Castor Fantastic beasts and where to find them: The Romanesque capitals of St Kyneburgha's church, Castor, and the local landscape by Susan Kilby [2019]
• Clopton Lost Churches of the Nene Valley and the Rediscovery of St Peter's, Clopton by Mary A Dean [1984] (page 83)
• Collyweston - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Clopton - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Cotterstock - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Cranford St Andrew Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew.
• Deene - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Delapre Abbey "The Penury of Christ's Maidservants" [1960] (page 10) A letter from Gilbert Foliot, bishop of of London (1163-87), relating to the nunnery at Delapre.
• Denford - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Duddington - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Easton on the Hill - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Easton on the Hill Two Northamptonshire Chantries by Rosalind Hill [1947] (page 203) Detailed evidence about the foundation in the late 13th century of separate chantries at Titchmarsh and Easton-on-the-Hill.
• Faxton Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew. It includes pictures of the destruction of Faxton church.
• Faxton Monuments from Faxton Church in the Victoria and Albert Museum by Terence Hodgkinson [1971] (page 335)
• Fotheringhay - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Furtho Churches in Trust by Joan Wake [1959] (page 294) An account of the history and condition of the church buildings at Canons Ashby, Boughton Green, Faxton, Furtho, Aldwinckle All Saints and Cranford St Andrew.
• Glapthorn - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Great Billing Great Billing Church Struck by Lightning, 1759
• Gretton - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Harringworth - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Hemington - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Higham Ferrers On tile pavements, especially that of Higham Ferrers by Lord Alwyne Compton [1849]
• Islip - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Kettering Architectural Illustrations of Kettering Church by Robert William Billings [1843]
• Kings Cliffe - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Lower Benefield - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Lowick - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Luddington - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Lutton - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Marston Trussell St Nicholas Church, Marston Trussell by Heather Bird [2013] (page 37)
• Mears Ashby Northants Fonts and Plato's Cosmos by Lionel Wall Discussion of the iconography of Norman fonts with well-illustrated sections about those at Aston-le-Walls, Braybrooke, Mears Ashby and Thornby.
• Moulton Moulton Church and its Bells by Sidney Joseph Madge [1895]
• Moulton St Peter & St Paul's Church, Moulton, Northamptonshire by Rev John Maurice Turner [1933]
• Nassington - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Northamptonshire Metropolitical Visitation, 1635 Account of churches at Peterborough, Stamford, Oundle, Brigstock, Higham Ferrers, Glendon, Rothwell, Northampton.
• Northamptonshire The lost churches of Northamptonshire by Stephen Swailes [2023]
• Oundle - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Passenham Monuments in Passenham church
• Peterborough A Cathedral Audit Dinner, 1708 The itemised receipt for this event.
• Peterborough Churchwardens' accounts at Peterborough The text of accounts of St John the Baptist church for 1467.
• Peterborough Monumental inscriptions in Peterborough Cathedral
• Peterborough Monumental Inscriptions in Peterborough Cathedral From the north choir aisle.
• Peterborough Old Scarlett A sexton from the 16th century commemorated in Peterborough Cathedral.
• Peterborough Peterborough Abbey and Warmington Church: A Sequel by Peter McDonald [2023] (page 9)
• Peterborough Robbery at Peterborough Cathedral, 1784.
• Peterborough The Building History of St John-The-Baptist Church, Peterborough by Andrew Woodger [1986] (page 235)
• Peterborough The Cathedral church of Peterborough by W D Sweeting [1899]
• Peterborough The Chronicles of Peterborough Abbey Volume 2: Robert of Swaffham and Walter of Whittlesey edited by Edmund King [2022]
• Peterborough The History of the Church of Peterburgh by Symon Gunton [1686]
• Pilton - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Polebrook - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Raunds Raunds Furnells: The Anglo-Saxon church and churchyard by A Boddington, R Cramp & G Cadman [1996]
• Raunds Church of St Peter Fully illustrated account of a visit to the church, its history, architectural features and wall paintings.
• Ringstead - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Rockingham - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Rushden Rushden Church, a Reappraisal of the Architectural History by D N Hall [1974] (page 71)
• Rushton The Tresham Monument [1968] (page 189) Restoration of the tomb in Rushton church of Sir Thomas Tresham.
• Southwick - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Spratton St Andrew's church
• Spratton The Spratton Livery Collar of SS: the Earliest Example of a Prime Lancastrian Honour by Douglas Arden [2012] (page 7)
• Stoke Doyle - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Sudborough - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Sulby The lost church of St Botolph at Sulby by Graham Ward [2023] This article and the one by Denis Pepper to which it leads discuss the dedication of the parish church of the deserted village of Sulby and evidence for its precise location.
• Tansor - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Thornby Northants Fonts and Plato's Cosmos by Lionel Wall Discussion of the iconography of Norman fonts with well-illustrated sections about those at Aston-le-Walls, Braybrooke, Mears Ashby and Thornby.
• Thorpe Achurch - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Thrapston - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Thurning - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Titchmarsh - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Titchmarsh Two Northamptonshire Chantries by Rosalind Hill [1947] (page 203) Detailed evidence about the foundation in the late 13th century of separate chantries at Titchmarsh and Easton-on-the-Hill.
• Towcester Churchwardens' Accounts at Towcester Extracts from 1712 to 1740.
• Wadenhoe - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Wakerley - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Warmington Peterborough Abbey and Warmington Church: A Sequel by Peter McDonald [2023] (page 9)
• Warmington The Bishop, the Abbot and Warmington Rectory: A Medieval Church Appropriation Struggle by M J Franklin [1980] (page 197)
• Warmington - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Weldon - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Wellingborough Galleries in Wellingborough church
• Wellingborough Guild of Our Lady at Wellingborough Lists and values attached to the assets of this chantry at the time of its dissolution.
• Whittlebury Some inscriptions at Whittlebury Three inscriptions, the earliest dated 1646, noted by Henry T Wake in the 19th century.
• Woodford-cum-Membris Lay Rectorship: Miss Caroline Hunt and the Chancel Seats at the Parish Church Woodford-cum-Membris by J W Anscombe [1993] (page 407)
• Woodford near ThrapstonHeart burial at Woodford by Christopher Smyth Account of the discovery in 1866 of a human heart in the church and its retention there.
• Woodnewton - see Churchcrawler's Guide.
• Wollaston Church goods at Wollaston, 1783 An inventory kept at the Bodleian library.
• Yarwell - see Churchcrawler's Guide.

More about churches

These sources include material about Northamptonshire church buildings generally, burial grounds, how parishes were run and the religious movements and changes that affected the county.

• A Note on the Book of Common Prayer by Joan Wake [1962] (page 79) An outline of the development of the 1662 and earlier editions and the roles of contributors with Northamptonshire connections.
• Architectural Notices of the Churches of the Deaneries of Higham Ferrers and Haddon [1849] Illustrated descriptions of 61 parish churches.
• Charnwood slate gravestones in Northamptonshire (page 84) This is Appendix One of 'Conversations in Churchyards' by R N Trubshaw [2025]
• Choir stalls and their carvings by Emma Phipson [1896] A well-illustrated book with chapters about Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Peterborough, Rothwell and Wellingborough.
• Church or Chapel? by Graham Ward [2026] Illustrated exploration of the historical background and enduring implications of this question which had widespread personal significance until well into the twentieth century.
• Conventual Pensioners List of the names of and pensions granted to 61 local individuals when the chantries were abolished in the 1540s.
• Early Protestantism and the Church in Northamptonshire by A G Dickens [1983] (page 27)
• Fonts and Font Covers by Francis Bond [1908] Entries relating to a number of churches in the county can be found by seeking "Northants" with the search facility.
• Fragile Images by Paul Sharpling [2016] A survey of post-medieval stained glass windows in churches and other buildings of Northamptonshire and the former Soke of Peterborough. It stresses the fragile nature of the windows currently in place and gives a detailed account what has been lost since the sixteenth century.
• Gazetteer of East Midlands slate gravestone masons and engravers by Bob Trubshaw [2026] Slate tombstones are some of the most endurable historical records and often display exquisite artistry. This paper indexes by place many of the burial grounds where such works can be found. They are drawn from about 300 locations, 40 being in Northamptonshire. An Appendix gives references to each of a series of articles that were published in in the 1950s in The Monumental Journal on which the gazetteer is based. The introduction fully explains the background and extent of the original survey.
• Northamptonshire Historic Churches Trust raises funds to make grants to churches in Northamptonshire of all denominations for their preservation, repair and maintenance, improvement, upkeep, beautification and reconstruction.
• Northants Fonts and Plato's Cosmos by Lionel Wall Discussion of the iconography of Norman fonts with well-illustrated sections about those at Aston-le-Walls, Braybrooke, Mears Ashby and Thornby.
• The Church Bells of Northamptonshire: their inscriptions, traditions and peculiar uses by Thomas North [1878] Includes chapters on Northamptonshire bell founders and other founders of Northamptonshire bells.
• The Church in Victorian Northampton edited by Victor A Hatley [1992] Transcriptions of enquiries made in 1872-1886 by Bishop William Connor Magee of all parishes in and around Northampton. The book features the questions asked and answers forthcoming from each parish as well as biographies of Magee and the relevant incumbents.
• The Church Plate of the County of Northampton by Christopher A Markham [1894] Illustrated inventory of church plate arranged in alphabetical order of parishes. In 1552, Edward VI ordered an inventory to be made of church goods; plate mentioned in the surviving lists for places in the county also feature in this book. There are separate indexes of places and persons as well as a list of church plate in date order; the earliest of which was made about 1330.
• The Fenland Monasteries During the Reign of King Stephen by Ethan George Birney [2019] This thesis contains many references to Northamptonshire.
• The Parish Churches and Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their dedications, altars, images and lights by R M Serjeantson & Henry Isham Longden [1913] Originally published in Archaeological Journal, volume 70, issue 1, pages 217-452, this paper explores relevant references found in Northamptonshire wills dating from 1510-1558. There are detailed alphabetical lists of parish churches and religious houses with extracts from wills relating to them.
• The Parochial Survey of Northamptonshire 1655-1656 by Bill Franklin [2019] (page 7) Describes and explains these records now kept in Lambeth Palace Library which provide details including the names of each patron, the present incumbent and value of the benefice for each parish in the county. An extensive and erudite account is given of the issues relating to the Church which led up to the Civil War and the complicated efforts made to reform its financial and pastoral dimensions then and during the Commonwealth.
• The Progress of the Reformation in South Northamptonshire c.1510-c.1750 by Ann Garfield [2016]
• The Roman Catholic Congregation in Mid-nineteenth-century Northampton by Margaret Osborne [2011] (page 81)
• The Second Spring': Roman Catholicism in Victorian Northamptonshire by Margaret Osborne [1994] (page 71)
• Tinstaafl Transcripts Transcripts of marriages during 1754-1837 are arranged by parish. By January 2026, over 25% of the parishes in Northamptonshire were covered. As well as the transcript, there is a full description of the parish and its church (which is pictured) with comments about the coverage, location and quality of each relevant register book. Similar transcripts are available for other counties.

Medieval wall paintings in Northamptonshire churches

• Burton Latimer Wall painting: The Martyrdom of St Catherine
• Chacombe Wall painting: Martyrdom of St Peter
• Croughton Wall painting: The Flight into Egypt
• Great Harrowden Wall painting: Doom
• Mears Ashby Wall painting: Doom
• Raunds Wall painting: The Seven Deadly Sins
• Slapton Wall painting: The Warning Against Idle Gossip