A Story in Stone
Welcome to Geddington Church
Welcome to St Mary Magdalene, where people have worshipped for over 1,000 years.
This page brings you the long history of the church - its Story in Stone. You can click on the brief introductions below to find pages on each subject, each of which corresponds to one of the display panels throughout the church where a QR code will take you directly to the same page.
A Place
of Welcome
Set in the heart of Geddington, the church has been a dominant feature of the village since Saxon times. Find out more about its facsinating history and its place in the community.
The
Saxon Church
The original church dates from sometime between AD850 and 970. It was dedicated to St. Andrew, a name that it bore for more than 500 years. There are still some traces of the Saxon building.
A
Royal Place
In 1129, Henry I built a hunting lodge at Geddington. By the late 12th Century, the royal residence must have been quite substantial, for it was capable of hosting a Parliament.
Abbots and Lords
of the Manor
In 1356, Geddington was transferred by licence from the Crown to Pipewell Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries. The Lords of the Manor also made their mark on the church.
Centuries
of Change
The Nave has seen more changes than any other part of the church from the orignal Saxon building, through remodelling in the High Middle Ages to the construction of the tower in the 15th century.
A Holy
Space
Chancel is a term used to describe the holiest part of the church where, in mediaeval times the mystery of transubtantiation (the belief that, in the Eucharist, water and wine become Christ’s body and blood) was screened from the lay people
A Murder
in Geddington
An example of Church's power in the Midddle Ages was the right of sanctuary, under which a fugitive from the King’s justice who took refuge in a church or churchyard was protected from immediate arrest by church law. Such an event took place in Geddington in 1446.
A Place of
Private Prayer
The 13th Century Lady Chapel, sometimes referred to as the ‘South Chapel’ and also as the ‘Chantry’ is set to one side of the Chancel, and has its own Altar set within a Sanctuary area. A chantry chapel was a place where priests sang masses for the souls of benefactors.
The Reredos
& East Window
When you visit Geddington Church, there are two great glories that you can’t miss. The first is the superb 14th Century Reredos just below the east window and behind the altar. The other is the great East Window, the stonework of which dates from the 13th century.
Loss and
Remembrance
The churchyard has been extended a number of times, with the oldest graves being to the south of the church. There are also a number of plaques on the side of the church and a War Memorial dedicated to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.