Holy Sepulchre Northampton

07/09/2026

Step Into Everyday Life in Medieval Northampton at Holy Sepulchre

07/09/2026

This week our services are 10.30 am on Tuesday and 4pm on Sunday.

Sunday is a special service celebrating Holy Cross Day. Please bring any crosses from home to be blessed. We will also have a fish and chip supper afterwards.

We are also open on Saturday for and for Heritage Open Days.

See you there.

05/09/2026

26/08/2026

Join us after dark for a special evening tour by torchlight. Bring your own torch and step into the shadows as we explore the church’s hidden corners and hidden gems.

This is your chance to see this 900 year old unique church as most people don’t with the lights off. Illuminated by candlelight you will see details that are missed in the daylight and encounter this sacred space in a more intimate, atmospheric way. From mason marks to witches marks and medieval graffiti there is so much to explore.

Discover the church as it is rarely seen, see details you might miss in daylight, and encounter the sacred space in a more intimate, atmospheric way.

Upcoming Dates

Thursday 17 September (19.30pm-21:00)

Saturday 19 September (19.30pm-21:00)

24/08/2026

Join us this week. Tuesday at 10.30 am and Sunday at 4 pm.

If you have any questions please ask.

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21/08/2026

Thought from our Tuesday Service

The readings were:

Ezekiel 28.1–10
Matthew 19.23–end

While on Sunday we focused on the Assumption of Mary, on Tuesday we were talking camels and needles. Fr Oliver unpacked the Gospel for us in very practical terms while also referring to the book The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis.

Here are the five key points from that sermon, or at least what I took away.

1. Examine what you are holding onto.

We should ask ourselves what is getting in the way of us following Jesus. We often talk about ‘dying to ourselves in order to follow him’, or about the sacrifices we have to make. However, it is often about what parts of ourselves need to die for us to truly surrender

2. Practise putting others first.

We can choose to listen, serve and help without always seeking recognition or expecting something in return. “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

3. Let go of resentment and pride.

Like the characters in The Great Divorce, we may need to release old hurts, the need to be right or an unwillingness to forgive.

4. Trust God rather than our own ability.

We cannot transform or save ourselves through effort alone. We need to pray for God’s help with the things we find difficult to surrender.

5. Choose Christ in ordinary decisions.

Following Jesus happens through daily choices about how we use our time and what we focus on. The daily small choices matter just as much as the grand gestures, maybe more.

Services Tuesday at 10.30 and Sunday at 4pm

20/08/2026

Please join us services are Tuesday at 10.30 am and Sundays at 4pm.

⛪️🇬🇧

19/08/2026

STEP INTO 900 YEARS OF HISTORY

Every September, Heritage Open Days invites people across England to explore historic buildings, hidden places and fascinating places of interest, all for free.

This year’s theme is Everyday Histories, so we’re opening the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and exploring what everyday life was like in a medieval church.

Built in 1100 AD, the Holy Sepulchre is Northampton’s medieval round church and one of the town’s most remarkable historic buildings.

WHAT’S ON

A DAY AT CHURCH IN MEDIEVAL NORTHAMPTON
Saturday 12 September | 10am–4pm
Step into the rhythm of daily life in medieval Northampton.

LUNCHTIME CHURCH: A MEDIEVAL PAUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY
Tuesday 15 September | 12pm–2pm
Drop in during your lunch break and experience the church as part of everyday life.

THE HOLY SEPULCHRE AND ITS HISTORY
Thursday 17 September | 2pm
Step inside one of Northampton’s most historic buildings with a guided tour led by one of our knowledgeable volunteers.

TORCHLIGHT TOUR: THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH AFTER DARK
Thursday 17 September | 7.30pm–9pm
Experience the church as it might have felt in a world without electric light. By torchlight, the building changes.

A DAY AT CHURCH IN MEDIEVAL NORTHAMPTON
Saturday 19 September | 2pm–4pm
Step into the rhythm of daily life in medieval Northampton.

TORCHLIGHT TOUR: THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH AFTER DARK
Saturday 19 September | 7.30pm–9pm
Experience the church as it might have felt in a world without electric light.

A DAY AT CHURCH IN MEDIEVAL NORTHAMPTON
Sunday 20 September | 11am–2pm
Step into the rhythm of daily life in medieval Northampton.

VisitNorthampton LivingHistory

18/08/2026

This time last year we were commemorating VE Day. The church has such a rich military heritage and was known for a long time as ‘the soldiers church’.

If you want to know more about our military heritage come along on an Open Day and our military historian will gladly share all his wisdom.