Church Stowe: Saxon West Tower, The Manor and Circular Walk
Accommodation in Church Stowe
Church Stowe offers a wealth of cultural history spanning different periods: the Church of St Michael has a Saxon west tower; The Manor in Church Stowe has origins dating back to the Middle Ages, with building features from later centuries. A named circular walk passes through Church Stowe and by the church. When planning your trip, you can therefore focus on architecture, archaeological heritage or a walk on foot.
Church of St Michael: Tower and Tombs
The west tower stands at the western end of the church building; its Saxon date gives it an early architectural significance. The Church of St Michael also contains important chest tombs with effigies dating from the 13th century and the early 17th century. The early 17th-century effigies are by Nicholas Stone. The church thus brings together a Saxon building feature and effigies from several centuries. For travellers interested in architecture and funerary art, these offer two distinct perspectives on the history of the church building.
The Manor and its building history
The Manor in Church Stowe is a Grade II listed house. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages; parts of the building date from the early 17th and mid-18th centuries. A notable feature is the late medieval roof structure above what was presumably once an open hall. A roof structure is the load-bearing framework of a roof; its date points to an earlier building phase than the aforementioned 17th- and 18th-century parts. The house's history can therefore be viewed across several periods: medieval origins, a late medieval roof structure and later building features.
The Dovecote at The Manor is an 18th-century building with a complete row of nesting places. “Dovecote” means a building for housing pigeons and refers to a specific type of structure. The nesting places are a concrete detail that shifts the focus from the Manor's different building phases to a single historic structure.
Earthworks and circular walk
The overgrown earthworks at The Larches in the parish of Church Stowe are protected as Scheduled Monument 1003647. They add an archaeological perspective to the building history of the church and The Manor.
You can also factor in another aspect of your trip planning: the “Upper Stowe - Church Stowe - Weedon - Field Path Round” circular walk passes through Church Stowe and by St Michael's Church. The route offers a walking option alongside visits to the individual buildings. As path conditions can change, check the latest conditions before setting off.
If you are looking for a holiday rental in Church Stowe, you can shape your plans around these interests: would you like to spend most of your time exploring the history of the church and its buildings, or include the circular walk as well? This makes your preferred mix of culture and exercise a practical starting point for choosing where to stay.
Discover more destinations: Overstone, Helmdon, Rothwell, Wellingborough, Corby, Northampton, Aynho, West Haddon
For the broader travel overview: Northamptonshire.
