St Mary the Virgin with St John

Great Brington is recorded in the Doomsday book and is likely that a wooden church originally stood on this site before it was burned down in the 13th Century. The current church dating from between 1220 and 1280 follows the pattern of the Early English decorated and Perpendicular styles.

After the tower was completed the nave was added between 1220 and 1280 including the arcaded north aisleand an architecturally different south aisle. The church at that time served as an all-purpose village building to meet the civil and religious needs of the populace including domestic animals. A screen separated the nave from the chancel so that worship in the chancel would not be disrupted by activities in the nave.

Also dating from the 1200's and the part of the church dedicated to worship. As the local population increased the nave also became used for worship which changed the internal configuration so that aisles, windows, doors and a clerestory added. As these were added the styles changed so there is no one consistant style in the church.

The west door and window were added by Sir Edward Grey in 1450 and the bell frame dates from the 18th Century.  The clock dates to 1820 and made by John Corby of Castle Ashby. On the walls of the tower are large tablets, originally in the nave, and painted calligraphic inscriptions of the Lords Prayer, the Creed and the Ten  Commandments.

The Spencers arrived in 1508 and John Spencer commissioned the building of the chapel dedicated and housing the tombs of the Spencers.Nineteen generations rest here and the monuments, banners, helms, coronets, heraldic symbols celebrate and honour past Spencers. It has always been seperated from the chancel and nave by ornamental iron railings.

Originally know as the Chantry chapel and  included with the building of the south aisle in the 1200's. It has now been renamed the St Joseph Chapel and has a contempory stained glass window depicting the Light of the World. This was added in 2000 to celebrate the Millennium.