Boughton Green - St John the Baptist Church Ruin

When I first arrived at Boughton, Northants I wandered around the village taking a leisurely walk trying to locate the ruins of the St John the Baptist church that I had been reading about and as you will see from a couple of the snapshots below, at first I couldn't find it and just aimlessly wandered around the village.

I did manage to spot something in the distance that might have been part of a ruin, but instead I ended up in a pocket park with a bench that was in honour of the late Alice Cooper...

After finally asking a local for some help, they explained that the St John the Baptist church isn't actually in the village of Boughton, but is actually 1/2 a mile up the road where the village of Boughton used to be many years ago.

Hidden away on the outskirts of the current village of Boughton, is one of the most allegedly supernatural places you will come across in Northamptonshire.

For many, many years it has always been considered very dangerous to go near or even pass the now derelict churchyard of the St John the Baptist church, particularly late at night...

Hidden Treasure - Achurch Northamptonshire

In the village of Achurch, Northants not only will you a church, but (if you look hard enough) you will also find the remains of another church.  Oddly though, these remains that you will find were all that was ever built here as they could originally be found in the nearby village of Lilford.

In 1778 the stable block of Lilford Hall was demolished which was right next to where the church of St Peter once stood.  It was decided at the time that they would re-site the church but this didn't work out so instead parts of the church were re-located.

Hidden away in the over-grown Linches in Achurch (right next to the existing church), you can take a look at the remains of the church of St Peter that now over-looks the River Nene.  On first seeing the remains you would be forgiven for mistaking them as ruins, because pretty much how you see it today is how it was originally seen on this spot.  In the 18th century there was a fascination for follies which were very much in fashion at the time and the remains of the church of St Peter would have made an excellent folly.

Blatherwycke Chapel

St John the Baptist Church

Hidden away on the outskirts of the current village of Boughton, is one of the most allegedly supernatural places you will come across in Northamptonshire.

For many, many years it has always been considered very dangerous to go near or even pass the now derelict churchyard of the St John the Baptist church, particularly late at night...

An attractive young redhead is said to haunt the churchyard after she committed suicide in the 18th century after her husband died a mysterious death shortly after their wedding at the church.

It has long been said that the redhead and her husband haunt the surrounding area and should anyone approach the churchyard late at night (particularly at midnight on Christmas Eve), would become victims of their charms and die of causes unknown within one calendar month...

The ruins of the St John the Baptist church is the only remaining structural evidence of the original village.

If you respectfully wander around the churchyard you will find the very reason a church was built on this spot in the first place, namely the St John the Baptist spring.

The last wedding ceremony to take place at the church was in 1708 and by 1719 the church was described as being roofless and falling in to a state of ruin.  In 1780 the tower and the steeple fell down and most of the stonework was taken away and used to help build the existing church that is still in use today.