Church of the Week
Geddington, Northamptonshire
It's thought that there has been a church on the site of Geddington St Mary Magdalene since the Anglo-Saxon period, with parts of the present building dating back between 850 - 950AD. The church served Norman and Plantagenet kings and queens who stayed at their Royal Hunting Lodge in Geddington on the north side of the church, where significant councils were held. The original royal entrance, known as the King’s Door, is still in existence. Outside, there is an Eleanor Cross, built on the site of a Holy Well to commemorate the death of Queen Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I, whose funeral bier rested in Geddington church overnight on 7th December 1290. There were originally 12 Eleanor Crosses in England, one for each place Queen Eleanor's funeral bier rested on the journey to London from Nottinghamshire. Only three survive and Geddington's is the best preserved.
Geddington has a spectacular 14th century reredos underneath the East window, with beautiful painted panels in each niche by the renowned architect Sir Ninian Comper, completed in 1892. The reredos and panels have recently undergone an extensive conservation programme, which saw Geddington crowned the joint winner for England at the National Church Awards in the Care & Conservation category.
View Geddington St Mary Magdalene