Discover Thurning: Church, History and Trails

Thurning combines impressive architectural history with quiet landscape features and a signposted cycle route. This makes it a varied destination for planning your trip: you can explore medieval ecclesiastical architecture, discover a historic moat and a large pond, or plan a section of the Oundle Pilgrimage Cycle Route. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Thurning will therefore find several clear focal points to help choose the type of holiday that suits them.

St James the Great and Medieval Architecture

The church of St James the Great is at the heart of the village’s history. It was first mentioned in 1186 in connection with a tithe dispute between the priest of Thurning and the rector of Hemington. The present building dates from the 12th to the 14th century. The west wall and the spirelet were rebuilt; in 1880, Carpenter and Ingelow restored the church.

Individual architectural features also make a visit particularly vivid for travellers interested in cultural history. The north arcade of the nave dates from around 1200 and has chamfered, roll-moulded round arches, as well as a circular pier with corresponding responds. Inside, there is also a semicircular chancel arch from the 12th century with semicircular responds and carved capitals featuring shell ornament. St James the Great is regarded as a small, well-preserved example of Anglican High Church furnishings.

Please plan your church visit with one important restriction in mind: St James the Great is normally locked, so you should contact the church in advance. When the church is open, a toilet or an accessible toilet is available. This allows you to incorporate the visit consciously into your day’s plans without assuming general accessibility.

Market History and The Old Tithe Barn

Thurning also has historical connections with markets and feast days. In 1263, Thurning Market was granted a charter for a Wednesday market. This market was probably replaced by Barnwell in 1270. Also in 1263, St Michael’s Fair was granted permission to take place on the eve, the feast day and the day after St Michael’s feast. These details offer a glimpse into earlier forms of village life, but they are historical events and not an indication of a present-day market programme.

The Old Tithe Barn is a late medieval or early modern tithe barn with an ancillary building. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, it was used for various events in the village. After a fire in 1933 in which part of the building was lost, it was rebuilt with alterations by 1937. In the late 20th century, it was converted into a tea room. Anyone interested in the development of historic buildings will therefore find several successive traces of use here.

Medieval Moat, Pond and Signposted Cycle Route

West of the church lies the Medieval Moat, Thurning, a probable medieval moat complex. The moat is shallow and no more than 0.5 metres deep; it encloses a rectangular island at the same level. The complex lies at the north-eastern end of a rectangular enclosure, whose outer moat can be traced along the north-eastern side for 80 metres. Anyone who prefers exploring historic landscapes in the field rather than in exhibitions can mark this place as a destination in its own right.

At the eastern edge of the village lies Thurning Pocket Park, with a very large pond locally known as “The Weir”. This provides a scenic destination to complement the historic buildings. For an active day out, the Oundle Pilgrimage Cycle Route is also worth considering: in Phase 2, the 12/14-mile section from Barnwell to Wadenhoe follows a stretch of road to Thurning Village. From a pub car park opposite Berridges Farm, it is 3 miles to the village. From Thurning, the signposted route continues to Clopton, 2.5 miles away, and then 3 miles along the Roman Road to Titchmarsh.

Which Accommodation Location Suits Your Trip

When choosing accommodation in Thurning, you can first decide on your preferred focus: the church and The Old Tithe Barn are suited to a stay shaped by cultural history, while the Medieval Moat and the Pocket Park combine local history with the landscape. Anyone wishing to use the cycle route should include the stated distances between stages in their own day’s planning.

More Local Ideas

For more local ideas, you can then explore Rushden, Greatworth, Long Buckby, Quinton, Crick, Hellidon, Weedon Bec and Kilsby.

For the higher-level travel overview: Northamptonshire.