The beautiful church of St Mary the Virgin is the first sight to strike you when approaching the village of Wappenham. It has been a part of village life and a peaceful place for Christian worship over many centuries. The Friends of St Mary the Virgin has been set up to look after the fabric of the Church, working closely with the Parochial Church Council, so that it will continue to stand for years to come.

The Committee

Jane Mordue (chair)
Alastair Judge (treasurer)
Anthony Tucker (secretary)
Di Watts
Rev Will Adams
Rev Dorothy Micklethwaite


What needs to be done

The Church has stood for 800 years and each generation has looked after it and made it ‘fit for purpose’ for their times. The 21st century is no different. So what are the projects that need tackling now?

Please support the Friends

By becoming a friend

If you wish to support our work in maintaining this valuable part of our heritage, please do subscribe as a Friend for only £12 a year. An annual subscription of £12 is worth is £14.40 thanks to the generosity of the Chancellor! As a Friend you will be kept up to date with projects and results, as well as receiving early invitations to some special events and private viewings of works as they proceed. You will also know that you are helping to safeguard a historic building for future generations.

Jane Mordue
Chair of the Friends of St Mary the Virgin Wappenham

By purchasing our historical tea towels of Wappenham

Wappenham Tea Towels Tea Towels depicting Wappenham c1900 are available from: The Village Shop & Post Office or Di Watts on 01327 860219 Price: £5.00 Cheques payable please to: The Friends of St. Mary’s Church Wappenham

By supporting events

Such as: Open Gardens - Plant Sales - Concerts - etc.
view the Calendar for upcoming events

What has been done so far

Repairs to the roof

In June 2011, minor repairs to the church roof were carried out.

Graveyard enlargement

In July 2010 the graveyard was extended, as the old graveyard was near capacity. This represented the culmination of many months of hard work by all involved and our thanks are due especially to former churchwarden, Simon Proctor, and to Will Adams. Simple stock-proof fencing was erected. The graveyard extension is now waiting for the autumn so that new bare-root hedging can be planted and the old hedge and fencing taken out – and then that project will be complete. Thank you to all who supported our fund-raising and tidy-up events in the first half of 2010. The Winter Supper and silent auction in February 2010, followed by the lovely Wedding Dress Display and our Plant Sale, all helped to boost funds. As importantly, they were warm and welcoming events for all who live in Wappenham, whether newer arrivals or those whose roots are much deeper.

The Church Clock

In 2004 the Diocesan Clocks Advisor, Mr John F.H. Smith, wrote that the clock was ‘of national importance’. It dates from the 1600s and is of “a wrought iron frame with two trains, end to end, the frame having curved scrolled finials on corners. The trains are capstan wound. On the going train the great wheel has forked iron spokes (an unusual and original feature). The going train is regulated by a pendulum and anchor escapement but there are redundant holes in the frame which indicate conversion from an earlier verge and foliot escapement”.

The pendulum was the breakthrough of its day in providing much more accurate timekeeping. The clock’s survival was due to a villager, George Gasson (pictured left), who, in 1952, restored it and climbed the tower every day to wind it. In 1975 the Northamptonshire Chronicle & Echo featured the then 83-year old George Gasson who was still climbing 30 steps a day (by candlelight) to wind the church clock.

The Wappenham church clock was finally restored to working order on Thursday 16th August 2007. For those parishioners that remember the clock working in the past, you might think that the strike is a little quieter than it was - you would be right! When the church bells were re-hung some years ago, they were lowered away from the louvre window in the church tower and, whilst not noticeable for a peel of bells, the single strike for the clock is now quieter.