Church of St Giles

St Giles’ Church stands in the centre of Northampton as the parish church of the Church of England’s Diocese of Peterborough. The building is a Grade I listed structure whose oldest parts date from the 12th century. A major Victorian restoration by Edmund Francis Law rebuilt the west end and added the outer north aisle between 1853 and 1855. The crossing tower, though 12th century in origin, was rebuilt after a collapse in 1616 and again in 1914. Inside, the west doorway and chancel survive from the 12th century, while the pulpit belongs to the Jacobean period. The church holds notable monuments and fittings from later centuries. A 15th-century alabaster tomb commemorates the Paynell-Gobion family, and 17th- and 18th-century wall tablets record local figures such as James Keill and Samuel Pennington. Robert Browne’s gravestone stands in the churchyard by the south door. The east window’s stained glass, installed in 1878, was made by Clayton and Bell. George Gilbert Scott’s 1840 report guided the Victorian restoration. Visitors enter through the restored west porch and find a spacious nave with clear Victorian lines. The crossing tower rises above the chancel, which was widened in the 13th century. Wall monuments line the aisles, and the Jacobean pulpit remains in use. The churchyard contains further historic gravestones, including that of Robert Browne. The interior offers a quiet space for reflection amid Northampton’s busy streets.