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Contact InformationInformation & Visiting - Plan & Virtual Tour
Visiting St Matthew's
Visits to the church may be arranged by prior appointment with our Parish Administrator. A Guided tour of the church is also possible by prior arrangement. Please contact the Parish Office during office hours. The location of the church along with access to directions can be found on the How to Find us page.
Disabled access is provided via the main porch nearest the Kettering Road. The church also possesses wheelchairs should one be required and has a toilet suitable for all mobility needs in the Church. If you have any special requirements, please contact the Parish Office. Additionally St Matthew's also caters for those who are hearing impaired. The church sound system is equipped with an Induction Loop System which may be accessed with most modern hearing aids.
A Virtual Tour of St Matthew's Church
The South Porch
The South Porch is the main entrance for this church, as is common in most churches. The stained glass windows depict Saints Aidan and Chad in the inner porch, and in the outer porch Saints Swithun and Augustine.
The Font
The Font, used for baptisms/christenings and placed near the entrance, symbolising entry into the Christian faith. It is made of marble and surrounded by intricate wrought ironwork. The stained glass windows appropriately feature scenes with children.
The Memorial Chapel
The Memorial Chapel, dedicated in 1921 to remember the servicemen of the parish who gave their lives in the Great War. Those who have died in later conflicts have been incorporated.
The Children's Corner
A carpeted area with Christian resources and activities for young children is provided for those who wish to use it.
Statue of the Madonna & Child
Statue of the Madonna and Child by Henry Moore, commissioned by the Vicar, Walter Hussey, for the church's 50th anniversary in 1943, and given as a gift by his father, Canon Rowden Hussey, the first vicar.
The Lady Chapel
The Lady Chapel, a traditional feature at the eastern end of many churches, named after the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady). Mid-week services take place here and the chapel is also available for private devotions. It houses a splendid Altar and Triptych. A hanging candle indicates the presence of the reserved Blessed Sacrament.
The Pulpit
The Pulpit, which, like the font, is made of alabaster and marble. The panels fittingly depict scenes of preaching.
The High Altar
The High Altar, the principal altar of a church and usually placed at the east end. Above the altar is a carved, marble Reredos and to the right a brass Eagle Lectern from which the scriptures are read. Modern practice is to have a Nave Altar with the priest facing the worshippers. Fine wrought ironwork surrounds the area and is continued in the Minstrels' gallery above.
The Organ
The Organ, which is unusually positioned to speak into the quire and nave simultaneously, built in 1895 by J W Walker & Sons of London. It has 4 manuals, 49 stops and 2,955 pipes and is one of a few remaining comparable organs to have survived in its original form.
Painting of The Crucifixion
Painting of the Crucifixion by Graham Sutherland, commissioned by Walter Hussey and installed in1946. It depicts Jesus suffering a Roman form of criminal execution. The Cross is central to the Christian faith.
Statue of St Matthew
Life-size bronze sculpture of St Matthew, the patron saint of this church, by Ian Rank-Broadley. The commission was made possible by a benefaction from the estate of the late Canon John Morton, Vicar of St Matthew's 1975 - 1996. The sculpture itself was dedicated at a special Sung Mass on St Matthew's Day 2009 in the presence of the Morton family.
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary, meaning 'Holy', is the area around the altar, where the Eucharist (or 'Thanksgiving') is celebrated, recalling the Last Supper on the night before Jesus died. To the right of the altar is the lectern/ambo, from which the scriptures are read. Malcolm Pollard (1941-2002), a local sculptor, was commissioned in 1986 to design a figure of the Risen Christ to hang before the Victorian wrought iron cross above the Chancel Screen. Both simple and moving in concept, it completes the narrative of Christ's birth and death as portrayed by Henry Moore's Madonna and Child and Graham Sutherland's Crucifixion that face each other across the transepts.
Mosaic Panel
Mosaic panel of Christ with his Disciples fishing, originally in St Matthew's Church of England Primary School in Byron Street, opposite the church.
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Registered Office: 27A The Drive, Kingsley, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 4RY
Charity Registration No.: 1130083.
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