"St Mary's Church" Broughton Things to Do Tip by evaanna

St Mary's Church is situated just a few steps from the Gatehouse. We visited it before we went into the Castle but it is better to go inside afterwards, when you know a little more about the Fiennes family, whose ornate tombs can be found in the church.
The church dates back to the early 14th century, but there are even some elements of an earlier church on this site, like the circular font. The people buried in the church include its builder, Sir John de Broughton, whose brightly coloured tomb catches the eye. There are also a few beautifully decorated tombs of members of the Fiennes family with their effigies. One of them is apparently empty - that of Edward Fiennes, d. 1528 who had it built for himself when he was only 30 but was never buried there.
We did not pay any attention to the murals in the chancel, which was a mistake as they are believed to date from about 1340 and represent the scenes from the life and death of Mary the Virgin. I saw them on the Internet later but they are not very clear, with large parts of the paintings missing.

Address: St Mary's Church, Broughton nr Banbury