History
In about 33AD, after Jesus was crucified at the time of the Jewish feast of Passover the Bible records that he was buried in a tomb on the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem. Three days later Jesus was raised from the dead and the tomb was found to be empty. Later, on that same first Easter Day, he appeared to many of his followers. Over the course of the next six weeks hundreds of other people saw him.
The Christian Church came into existence to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection and to proclaim the Gospel (the Good News) that through faith in him all have the opportunity of eternal life. Today - 2000 years on - the same message is being proclaimed by Christian people all over the world.
Between 132 and 135 AD there was a rebellion by many Jews against the Roman occupation but this was eventually put down by the Emperor Hadrian's troops . There followed fierce reprisals - hundreds of settlements throughout Judea were destroyed and large numbers of people killed. The city of Jerusalem was rebuilt as a Hellenistic Roman colony and Hadrian re-named it Aelia Capitolina in honour of his family and the Roman god Jupiter. Effectively Jerusalem became a pagan city and Jews (and the Christians amongst them) were expelled. A shrine to Jupiter was built on the site of the ancient Jewish Temple and a circular temple dedicated to the Roman god Venus upon the site of the Jesus' empty tomb.
However, when Constantine became Emperor and accepted Christianity he demolished the temple to Venus and erected a round church on the temple's foundations. Much of that original church can still been seen within the present Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in what is now called the 'Old City' area. The 'Round' in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Northampton was built to the same circular design.
St Seps was started in 1098 AD on the site of an earlier Saxon church by Simon de St Liz(or Senlis), the first Norman Earl of Northampton, as a thank-offering to God for his safe return from the First Crusade. Whilst it has been extended and restored over the centuries the original 'Round' church remains as part of the main structure.
Although churches built to a circular design are fairly common in Eastern Europe and the Middle East - in what was the Byzantine area - only nine were built in England in the Middle Ages, of which four remain. The original nine were at West Thurrock in Essex (rebuilt in the 13th or 15th century); Aislasby and Temple Bruer in Lincolnshire, Temple in Holborn, London (these three were all destroyed by fire in 1897); the chapel of Ludlow Castle (now in ruins); Temple Church off Fleet Street in London (badly bombed in 1942 but now restored); St John of Jerusalem in Little Maplestead in Essex (built in the 14th century); Holy Sepulchre in Cambridge and Holy Sepulchre in Northampton.
Most of these churches were connected with the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitallers. But the chapel at Ludlow Castle and the Round churches in Cambridge and Holy Sepulchre in Northampton were all built at an earlier date and hence have no connection with the Templars nor the Hospitallers.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - St Sepulchre's - in Northampton is the largest and best preserved of the remaining Round churches in England. It is also the oldest standing building in Northampton. It is a Grade I Listed Building.
Simon de St Liz's original church had a round nave with eight massive columns. These supported a triforium and had a short chancel with a semi-circular apse at the East end, In about 1180 a North aisle was added and a second, outer one, was added in about 1275. During the early 15th century a tower was built at the West end of the Round and the triforium was replaced with a clerestory. A South aisle was also added.
The Victorians had the church repaired and restored, firstly having it extended Eastwards under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott over the period 1860-4. Subsequently the Round was restored in 1868-73. An unusual chancel screen (by Oldrid Scott) was installed in 1880.
For may years the church acted as the garrison church for the former Northamptonshire Regiment and contains many important memorial plaques, stained glass windows and records relating to the Regiment and the earlier 48th and 58th Regiments of Foot. The unofficial title of the church as The Soldiers' Church is now changing to The Forces Church in order to reflect the church's current wider mission to all of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Police and Fire Service.
Mrs Caroline Chisholm (nee Jones), famous in Australia as the Emigrant's Friend, was born in the Mayorhold area of the parish in 1808 and was baptised and also married in the church. Her parents are buried in the churchyard. She is buried in one of the local municipal cemeteries.
After 27 years of extensive and mainly external restoration work - costing some £1.3m - the church is now safe and plans are in hand to improve the internal structure. A Service to celebrate the restoration work will be held in Spring 2010.
This history will be added to in due course.
Other pages on this website have photographs and further historical and other details.
Contact
Office: Church Lane
Northampton, NN1 3NL
Tel: 01604 627988
Vicar: 01604 230316
Restoration Trust:
Tel: 01604 754782