Church of All Saints

All Saints’ Church stands at the corner of Church Street and Newlands in Naseby, a village in Northamptonshire. The present building grew from a much older place of worship, for the Domesday Book of 1086 already mentions a priest there. Some Saxon stones and an incised grave slab built into the walls show that part of the structure is even older. The ornate 12th-century font remains from the earliest period of the church’s life. Most of the walls and arches date from the 13th and 14th centuries, when coursed lias rubble and slate were used. A clerestoreyed nave, north and south aisles, a chancel and a west tower form the main parts of the church. The south aisle and its pillars were added between 1220 and 1240, while the north aisle followed around 1280. The clerestories above both aisles were raised about 1400. In the 18th century the lower parts of the north arcade piers were given neo-classical plinths. The chancel was rebuilt in 1830, and the tower, probably 14th-century, now carries a recessed spire designed by William Slater in 1859–60. A large copper ball, brought from England in 1544 by Sir Gyles Allington, crowns the spire. The church also holds a 17th-century table known as Cromwell’s Table, said to have been used by royal soldiers on the eve of the Battle of Naseby. Inside, visitors find the ornate font, the north aisle table, and a brass to John Oliyver from 1446. Oval tablets and memorials to Rev John Mastin line the walls. The churchyard’s gravestones have been transcribed and published. A visitor and community centre opened in 2013 to share the story of the Battle of Naseby while keeping the building in use for worship.