Holy Sepulchre

The Holy Sepulchre is a testament to history, times gone by and religious stories. The church is a mismatch of different people's ideas, visions, and beliefs and spans many historical periods. Her oldest parts date from 1100 AD and her newest additions from Victorian times.

Everyone who steps into the church is hit by her grandeur. There is something magnetic and intriguing about the way the light hits the building, the colours illuminated by the stained glass windows and the gothic arches affording a vista that is only noticed at a second glance.

The Holy Sepulchre is one of only four medieval round churches in the UK and many believe is the grandest and largest of them all. As you step through one of the three entrances into the round you enter an eight-pillared building that rises three floors. 

Built by Simon de Senils, Earl of Northampton in approximately 1100 AD the church is based on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem but also the famous reinterpretations of it, Charlemange’s chapel at Aachen, and San Vitale in Ravenna.

In the 13th century the church was extended and areas were built and knocked down and built again between then and the 1860’s restoration by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. 

The church has a strong connection with the military life of the county. The highly unusual stained glass window of Richard Coeur de Lyon at the battle of Jaffa is beautiful and sits adjacent to two late Morris and Co windows. The Soldiers Chapel is where over 6000 soldiers from the Northamptonshires are remembered from the two great wars.

And as for the question we get asked a lot ‘does our church have anything to do with the Knights Templars?’ While we know the Templars are associated with round churches we can only seem to find one small mention that links the church to the Templars so the mystery for now will remain unanswered.