St Mary's Church

St Mary’s Parish Church is a fine example of the perpendicular style of architecture, mostly built in the 1300’s with a superb tower and spire rising to a height of 164ft, it is one of only five crocketed spires (a decorative feature on the spire) in the county.

Inside it has a strainer arch, a device inserted to prevent the external walls caving in. It is a rare architectural detail, there being one other almost identical example at Finedon (also in Northamptonshire) and a number in Wells Cathedral.

The Pemberton Memorial, St. Mary’s Church. Photo: A.J. George, Rushden

St Mary’s contains some interesting pre-reformation glass, attractive carved screens, an angel roof of carved figures holding musical instruments and two excellent Elizabethan tombs of members of the Pemberton family who lived at Rushden Hall.

The kneeling figures are those of Robert Pemberton and his wife Mary, the recumbent figure is Robert’s younger brother, Sir Goddard Pemberton, MP for Lewes in Sussex and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.