St Mary
Culworth, Northamptonshire
A quintessential country church standing alongside the village street from where you can look out across country that rolls away to the southern county border.
This small 14th century village church in rolling Northamptonshire countryside has Grade I listed status.
Interesting features include a pack saddle tower roof and looking carefully at the east side of the tower one can see a carved stone figure.
The interior has perhaps inevitable 19th century restorations with pleasing doors to nave pews. The 14th century wall painting of St Christopher is in fact three superimposed paintings. In addition to a carved wooden altar with Russian painted panelling, the chancel has a 14th century piscina and an aumbry, probably with it's original door. There is also a decorated low side window near a former priest's doorway. The north aisle has interesting 19th century scholastic stained glass windows.
The carved stone monument to Thomas Kirton (died 1601) depicts him, his wife and their twelve children, infancy deaths being depicted by cradles. There is little doubt that the church has connections with the Puritan pioneer John Mayo, one of the first settlers in Barnstable, Cape Cod, who was the first pastor of the Second Church of Boston 'The Old North Church'.