Church of St Luke

The Church of St Luke in Kislingbury, Northamptonshire, is a parish church listed at Grade I, the highest level of protection for historic buildings in England. Its fabric goes back to the 14th century, and later centuries added repairs and rebuilding that remain visible today.

Where is the Church of St Luke?

The church stands in Kislingbury, a village in Northamptonshire in the English Midlands, within the Diocese of Peterborough. Its coordinates are roughly 52.23 N and 0.98 W. It suits visitors exploring English countryside churches away from the big cities.

How old is the building?

Historic England dates the core of the church to the 14th century. Work followed in several later phases. Restoration took place around 1700, and the tower was restored in 1717. The body of the church was restored in 1829-30, when the vestry was also added. The spire was rebuilt in 1926. The result is a building that shows layers of history from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

What does the architecture look like?

The walls are coursed ironstone and limestone, with slate roofs and lead covering the aisles. The plan has a chancel, vestry, nave, north and south aisles, a south porch and a west tower. The Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record describes the style as mainly Decorated, the form of English Gothic typical of the 14th century. A four-bay arcade on octagonal piers separates the nave from the aisles. The chancel's east window has five lights with intersecting ogee tracery. In the south aisle a piscina survives with a cusped ogee hood.

What can you see inside?

• an octagonal font, singled out in descriptions of the church as early as the 19th century,
• a chest dating from around 1500,
• an 18th-century brass chandelier,
• wall monuments from the 18th and 19th centuries.

What is in the churchyard?

About a metre from the south-west corner of the church stands a chest tomb from the late 18th century. It has its own separate listing at Grade II.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Church of St Luke a listed building? Yes. It is listed at Grade I, which places it among the most significant buildings in England.

What style is the church? Mainly Decorated Gothic from the 14th century, with later alterations.

What is notable about the tower? It carries a spire rebuilt in 1926, and the tower itself was restored in 1717. A 19th-century gazetteer also mentions its embattled parapet.

When was the vestry added? In 1829-30, during the restoration of the church's body.