Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay

The Church of St Mary and All Saints stands on a low hill above the River Nene in the village of Fotheringhay. Its tall Perpendicular tower rises above the surrounding cornfields, giving the church the look of a ship on a sea of grain. Built in stages between the 14th and 15th centuries, the present structure began as a collegiate church founded by Edward III and was later extended as a parish church. Only the nave, aisles and octagonal tower remain from the original design, yet they remain fine examples of their period. The tower reaches 24 metres to the battlements and 35 metres to the pinnacle of its lantern. The church is the resting place of the Yorkist dynasty of the Wars of the Roses. Edward, 2nd Duke of York, killed at Agincourt in 1415, was buried here and later joined by his father Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and brother Edmund, Earl of Rutland, reburied in 1476 after a grand procession. Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, was laid beside her husband in 1495. The church preserves their memory in monuments around the altar, placed there after Elizabeth I ordered the removal of earlier tombs. Inside, a painted pulpit from the 15th century shows the royal arms flanked by symbols of George of Clarence and Richard of Gloucester. The nave and aisles offer space for quiet reflection, while the tower’s height provides views across the valley. The churchyard holds the graves of local clergy who served for centuries, from John Aboveton in 1412 to Alfred Longhurst in 1881. Annual white roses mark the birthday of Richard III, kept by the Richard III Society.