Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, CHURCH STREET

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1286678
Date first listed:
23-May-1967
List Entry Name:
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, CHURCH STREET

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1286678
Date first listed:
23-May-1967
Date of most recent amendment:
17-Jun-1987
List Entry Name:
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, CHURCH STREET

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, CHURCH STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
North Northamptonshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Ringstead
National Grid Reference:
SP 98608 75125

Details

RINGSTEAD CHURCH STREET SO97NE (South side) 2/127 Church of the Nativity of the 23/05/67 Blessed Virgin Mary (Formerly listed as Church of St. Mary) - I

Church. C12, C13, C14, restored C19. Squared coursed limestone and ironstone with ashlar spire and lead roofs. Nave, chancel, north aisle and chapel, north and south porches and west tower. South elevation of chancel of 3-window range of tall 3-light Decorated windows with flowing tracery. South chapel of 2-window range of 2-light square-head windows with C19 renewed tracery. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapets. 3-light, square-head east window to south chapel. South elevation of nave of 2-window range of tall 3-light Decorated windows with flowing tracery. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapet. C14 gabled south porch between window range has roll-moulded outer arch and vaulted roof. Late C12 inner arch is stepped and has nail head decoration and one order of shafts. North aisle of 3-window range with 2- and three-light Perpendicular windows to left and one 2-light C19 window to right. Wall to left of centre breaks forward slightly. Lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets and corbel table decorated with faces. Perpendicular porch to right of centre has roll-moulded outer arch with ballflower decoration and 4 orders of shafts, some now missing. Stiff-leaf finial. Gabled roof with plain ashlar parpets. C13 inner arch with roll moulding and one order of shafts. North nave clerestory of 5-window range of 2-light windows with plate tracery. North chancel clerestory of 2-window range to right, of 2-light square-head windows. West tower of 2 stages, the lower stage is sub-divided. Tall lancet to west face of lower stage has stiff-leaf decoration at head. Broach spire on corbel table has 3 tiers of lucarnes. First tier has 2-light bell-chamber openings with Y-tracery and one order of shafts. Interior: 5-bay nave arcade to north of double chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers. Octagonal respond to east end forms cluster with responds to chancel arcade. West end has no respond. Double chamfered chancel arch with stepped octagonal responds and tall triple chamfered tower arch with 3 orders of shafts. 3-bay chancel arcade of double chamfered arches with circular piers and octagonal responds. C19 roof structures with moulded corbels to chancel. Piscina with ogee head to right of altar has similar triple sedilia alongside, with mouchettes in the spandrels. Remains of double aumbry with trefoil heads to left of piscina. Base of stone screen between chancel arcades. C19 stone pulpit with marble shafts. Octagonal font on shafted base. Plank north door is probably C15 with strap hinges. Monuments: various C18 and C19 marble tablets in belfry. Rev. Francis Sawyer Parris, C18 style monument, south wall, has circular tablet on broad obelisk with shelf below, holding books and an ink well. Joseph Beelse, died 1807, north wall. Black and white tablet by Coles with foliage surround and urn above. (Buildings of England: Northants, p.384).

Listing NGR: SP9860875125

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
232429
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1973), 384

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 08:03:11.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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