Monument record 1160/21/1 - Possible site of St. Mary's Church, Castle Hill

St Mary's Church demolished in the 16th or 17th century. Its precise location within the medieval town is unknwon, but a probable ecclesiastical building found beneath Castle Hill in 1962 has been tentatively identified as St Mary's, although it may equally another of Northampton's 'lost' churches. An alternative interpretation is that this building was an eastern gatehouse for the castle.

{1} Site of St Mary's Church thought to lie in St Mary's Street; first recorded at end of C12th but probably founded by 1100; parish incorporated into All Saints in 1590; church was destroyed sometime in C16/17th.
The site was trenched in 1962. Above late Saxon occupation, interpreted as domestic in character, a stone building orientated east-west and measuring probably 17m x 11m was constructed in the early post-Conquest period. The nave was about 8m long x 4m wide internally, widened into chancel 7.5m long X 7m wide with apsidal end. Two possibly rectangular rooms of uncertain function attached to south end of nave; church destroyed in C16/17th;

{2} Nearly opposite St Katherine's Church and at the corner of St Mary's Street, formerly stood the church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It was confirmed to St Andrew's Priory by Hugh Wells, bishop of Lincoln. In 1589 it was united to the vicarage of All Saints. It is said that remains of arches exist in a cellar in this locality;

{3} Requests for burial in chapel of St Catherine in 1502 & 1539;

{4} Possible church building shown amongst tenement group just to east side of Castle thought to be St Mary's By The Castle;

{6} Six trenches were excavated in June 1962 subsequent to the demolition of 1-4 Castle Terrace and 55-65 Castle Street. Foundation trenches of a considerable building were found, likely a church. The author speculates that there is no record for a church having stood here, and although St Mary's by the Castle was nearby it is usually placed at the end of St Mary's Street, nearer the Mare Market. The 18th century name for Castle Street was Black Friars Lane which might preserve some echo of the church, possibly a subsidiary chapel. Equally possible that it is one of the completely lost chapels like St John's, St Martin's and The Rood in the Wall.

{7} The domestic occupation was succeeded by a small church or chapel, 70 ft. by 35 ft., with an apsidal chancel and traces of narrow aisles on both sides of the nave. The S. door had a simple but massive round-headed arch, the keystone of which was found. The building, which was constructed of ashlar blocks and had a roof of stone peg-tiles, was probably destroyed c. 1530-60 and all the cut stone removed. The N. wall possibly survived as a property boundary. Shortly after this destruction a low ridge of sand and soil, probably upcast from the clearing of the great castle ditch in the 17th century, was dumped over the site. The site then remained derelict until developed with terraces of small houses in the 19th century, which have now been destroyed to make way for the road.

{8}Church of St Mary stood to east of Northampton Castle in St Mary's Street; at end of C11th granted to priory of St Andrew; 1589 in delapidated state & parish annexed to All Saints;

{9} St Mary's one of nine churches named as confirmed to St Andrew's Priory & must have existed by 1200; records of presentations by St Andrew's between 1219 & 1247; after Reformation ecclesiastical parishes reduced to four & St Mary's was absorbed into All Saints;

{10} St Mary's was one of seven parish churches within town walls; stood in St Mary's Street; given to St Andrew's Priory by Simon de St Liz; in 1589 united to vicarage of All Saints; no traces visible;

{11} Mentions Guild of St Katherine at St Mary's Church; other details;

{14} St Mary's Church grid reference changed from SP75066051 to SP74996061;

{15} it is suggested that this building was perhaps a gate house at the eastern end of an elongated barbican, providing a gate that faced directly into the town.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.380/Site 28 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.39 (checked) (Book). SNN1032.

<3> Serjeantson R.M.; Longden Isham H., 1913, The Parish Churches & Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars etc., p.163-64 (checked); Copy in NDC SMR File M40; (Extract). SNN1080.

<4> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<5> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Hardy S., 1978-1984, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Secondary Record Sheets, M40 (Catalogue). SNN108.

<6> Alexander J., 1961-1964, Northampton Castle excavations 1961-1964, 1962 excavation (Unpublished Report). SNN3868.

<7> 1964, Medieval Archaeology (8), 8/250 (checked) (Journal). SNN21326.

<8> SERJEANTSON R.M., 1901, HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, p.92 (Book). SNN480.

<9> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton, p.55 (checked) (Series). SNN100370.

<10> Whellan, 1874, History, Topography & Directory of Northamptonshire, p.129; Note in NDC SMR File M40; (checked) (Book). SNN1002.

<11> Hamilton Thompson A., 1911, The Chantry Certificates For Northamptonshire, p.137-8 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1922.

<12> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.450 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<13> Dugdale, 1823, Monasticon Anglicanum, p.191 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN479.

<14> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SE36 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<15> Chapman, A, 2021, Northampton Castle Part 1: Introduction, pre-castle archaeology, and the history and topography of the castle, Fig 35; p. 164 (Article). SNN112914.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2025 1:53PM