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Pictures of Fotheringhay

in the county of Northamptonshire

All Saints Church, Fotheringhay

About Fotheringhay

The lantern tower of the Church of St. Mary and All Saints at Fotheringhay shines through the deepening shadows of the great trees that frame it, shadows matched in darkness by those less visible that haunt the village where the final tragedy of Mary, Queen of Scots was enacted.

A mound here once carried the grim castle in which Mary was imprisoned and executed in 1587. Today, the place in which Queen Mary met her death remains thistle-barbed and grassy and each summer Scottish thistles cover the site, growing tall and quite splendid as if reaching for the sky. It is said that Mary planted these Thistles shortly before she died. The castle was built in 1100 and was rebuilt in the 14th-century when it was used as a Royal residence. During the 17th-century, the castle fell into a state of decay and was demolished.

Fotheringhay parish church, the Church of St.Mary and All Saints has a most magnificent tower that can be seen from miles around. It rises in stages and is grandly topped by a gilt falcon, the badge of the illustrious House of York. This church is of Cathedral like proportions and it's size is matched by the treasures housed within, there are numerous windows which allow in floods of light. This is a building that looks quite magificent when an early spring sun illuminates the tower and equally so in high summer when the church is dappled in the late evening sunlight.

In the main street, limestone cottages stand solid and often four square with heavy slate roofs. At the east end of the village stands a house reputed to have been built as a hostel by Edward IV when he was resident at the castle, it has a 15th-century gateway and a Gothic arch.

Nowadays, the mellow old cottages and willow-hung banks of the river Nene create an air of pure tranquility, so much so that it difficult to imagine the macabre deeds of 1587. It is a pretty place strewn with a diversity of quaint old cottages and the grander, more elegant houses of a later build. The river Nene wends it's way through Fotheringhay as it does through much of the pleasant Northamptonshire countryside.

Close-by is the Nene Valley Railway, as is Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre. Prebendal Manor House, Elton Hall and the National Trust Property of Lyveden New Bield are all worthy of a visit. There is much of interest to see and do in this delightful region but long after you return home it will be the abiding memory of tall strong Thistles and a magnificent church dappled in late evening sunlight that will remain with you forever.


Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Fotheringhay

Southwick Hall(2.7 miles, 4.3 km, direction W)Pictures
Barnwell Country Park(4.2 miles, 6.8 km, direction SW)Pictures
Ferry Meadows Country Park(5.8 miles, 9.3 km, direction NE)Pictures
Castor Hanglands NNR(6.3 miles, 10.1 km, direction NE)Pictures
Lyveden New Bield(6.9 miles, 11.1 km, direction SW)Pictures
Deene Park(7.0 miles, 11.2 km, direction W)Pictures
Barnack Hills & Holes NNR(7.2 miles, 11.6 km, direction N)Pictures
Burghley House(8.2 miles, 13.2 km, direction N)Pictures
Brigstock Country Park(8.3 miles, 13.3 km, direction SW)Pictures
Kirby Hall(8.4 miles, 13.5 km, direction W)Pictures
Peterborough Cathedral(9.0 miles, 14.4 km, direction NE)Pictures
Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre(11.0 miles, 17.7 km, direction E)Pictures
Rockingham Motor Speedway(11.4 miles, 18.3 km, direction W)Pictures
Rockingham Castle(12.1 miles, 19.5 km, direction W)Pictures
Rockingham Castle Gardens(12.5 miles, 20.1 km, direction W)Pictures

All attractions in Fotheringhay
All attractions in Northamptonshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England

Recommended towns near Fotheringhay

Duddington, in the county of Northamptonshire (6.8 miles, 11.0 km, direction NW)
This is a gem of a village that is all gracious houses and cottages of stone, roofed with stone slates, that are spaciously interspersed around enchanting country lanes backed by mile after mile of glorious rich pasture and meadowland.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Deene, in the county of Northamptonshire (7.2 miles, 11.5 km, direction W)
Captivatingly beautiful in the quiet Northamptonshire countryside is the delightful village of Deene.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Barrowden, a Picturesque Village in the county of Rutland (8.4 miles, 13.5 km, direction NW)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Stamford, in the county of Lincolnshire (8.8 miles, 14.2 km, direction N)
Of the 17 churches, only 6 now remain in Stamford, which is without doubt, one of the finest medieval towns in the British Isles, if not in Europe.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Peterborough, a Historic City in the county of Cambridgeshire (8.9 miles, 14.3 km, direction E)
The magic of Peterborough lies in the richness of its beautiful Cathedral. It is a glorious historical treasure house, it is unique and quite beyond compare.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Harringworth, in the county of Northamptonshire (9.4 miles, 15.2 km, direction W)
Harringworth is a peaceful, serene village surrounded by unspoilt countryside.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Bythorn, a Picturesque Village in the county of Cambridgeshire (11.0 miles, 17.8 km, direction S)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Edith Weston, in the county of Rutland (11.2 miles, 18.0 km, direction NW)
The village lies on the southern shores of Rutland Water, one of Europe's largest man-made reservoirs, and England's premier fly fishing waters.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Normanton, in the county of Rutland (11.2 miles, 18.1 km, direction NW)
Normanton lies in a landscape of rolling farmlands, broken only by rivers and patches of woodland. It is a tranquil place, with the waters offering scope for sailing and other water-sports, bird-watching, fishing, and cycling.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Bisbrooke, a Picturesque Village in the county of Rutland (11.6 miles, 18.7 km, direction W)
Bisbrooke lies amidst a landscape of gentle hills dotted with rolling farmlands, rivers, reservoirs and woodland.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Lyddington, in the county of Rutland (11.9 miles, 19.2 km, direction W)
The charming village of Lyddington is set along what was doubtless once an ancient track that carried horse-drawn traffic.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Rockingham, in the county of Northamptonshire (12.1 miles, 19.4 km, direction W)
This pretty village has a rising main street flanked by sturdy stone houses.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Uppingham, in the county of Rutland (12.7 miles, 20.4 km, direction W)
Uppingham is a small town in what used to be called Rutland. It was just a tiny county, yet it encompassed some of the most beautiful countryside in England.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Whittlesey, in the county of Cambridgeshire (13.3 miles, 21.4 km, direction E)
Whittlesey is an old area of Cambridge, it is mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Rushton, in the county of Northamptonshire (15.3 miles, 24.5 km, direction SW)
The picturesque village of Rushton set between Desborough and Rothwell is famous for the Rushton Triangular Lodge built in 1593 by Roman Catholic Sir Thomas Tresham to symbolise the Holy Trinity.
Info | Pictures | Hotels

All towns in Northamptonshire
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Nearby travel help

A1(M) Junction 17(4.9 miles, 7.9 km, direction E)
A1(M) Junction 17(5.4 miles, 8.6 km, direction E)
Peterborough Station(8.3 miles, 13.4 km, direction NE)
Stamford Station(8.7 miles, 13.9 km, direction N)
Cambridge Airport(34.1 miles, 54.9 km, direction SE)
East Midlands Airport(43.0 miles, 69.2 km, direction NW)
Fotheringhay to London(71.6 miles, 115.2 km, direction S)

Hotels & Accommodation in Fotheringhay

Hotel NameApproximate distance from Fotheringhay center
Sleep Inn Peterborough(4.7 miles, 7.5 km, direction E)
Peterborough Premier Travel Inn(6.5 miles, 10.5 km, direction E)
Best Western Orton Hall Hotel(7.0 miles, 11.3 km, direction E)
The Oak Inn(8.0 miles, 12.8 km, direction N)
Thorpe Lodge Hotel(8.1 miles, 13.1 km, direction NE)
Charlotte House Hotel Ltd(8.5 miles, 13.7 km, direction E)
The Queensgate Hotel(8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction E)
The Crown Hotel(8.9 miles, 14.3 km, direction N)
Aaron Park Hotel(9.1 miles, 14.6 km, direction NE)
The White Swan(9.3 miles, 15.0 km, direction W)
All hotels in Fotheringhay

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