The Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick
In 1694 a fire swept through Warwick and burnt down the nave and tower of its great church. The east end survived, and with it one of the treasures of medieval England: the Beauchamp Chapel, built for Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, whose gilt bronze effigy lies on his tomb beneath windows of fifteenth-century glass. Around it are a vaulted chancel, a Norman crypt and the tombs of the Dudleys, and above it all a tower you can climb for a view over the castle.
The earls’ church
Roger de Beaumont, Earl of Warwick, founded a college of priests here in 1123 and rebuilt the church; only its crypt survives. In the fourteenth century Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and his son, also Thomas, rebuilt the chancel and the rest of the church, at the same time as they were rebuilding the castle. In his will Richard Beauchamp, who died in 1439, left money for a chapel to hold his tomb. The Beauchamp Chapel was built in the 1440s and 1450s, and his body was moved into it when it was ready.
On 5 September 1694 the Great Fire of Warwick destroyed much of the town, including the nave, transepts and tower of St Mary’s. The new church, finished in 1704, was designed by Sir William Wilson, better known as a sculptor, possibly with advice from Sir Christopher Wren, in a Gothic style of his own. Its tower rises straight from the pavement, with the footway passing beneath it through open arches.
The visitor's cheat sheet
| Where | Old Square, Warwick, CV34 4RA |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Centre of Warwick, a few minutes from the castle; Warwick station about 10 minutes’ walk; pay car parks in the town |
| Opening hours | Summer: Mon, Tue, Thu–Sat 10.30am–5pm, Wed 11am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm. Winter: Fri and Sat 10.30am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm. Closed to visitors on Good Friday; times vary for weddings and funerals |
| Admission | Entry to the church is free, donations welcome; a charge to see the chancel and Beauchamp Chapel; tower £5, under-16s free |
| How long | At least an hour; more with the tower |
| Best time | A clear day, for the view from the tower |
| Dress code | No rule; respectful dress in a working church |
| Tours | Self-guided; guided tours for groups by arrangement; tower climb |
Hours and admission checked against the official site in October 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.
A ducking stool. In the Norman crypt is a rare surviving ducking stool, once used to punish scolds and cheating traders by plunging them into water.
What to see, in the order you meet it
The nave
Wilson’s nave, rebuilt after the fire, is high, light and airy: a Gothic church as a seventeenth-century architect imagined one, with tall clustered piers and big windows.
The chancel
The chancel, built in the late fourteenth century, has a rare “skeleton” vault, its ribs standing free of the ceiling. In front of the altar is the tomb of Thomas Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, who died in 1369, and his wife Katherine, shown holding hands.
The Beauchamp Chapel
Through a carved doorway on the south side of the chancel is the Beauchamp Chapel, one of the finest late medieval chapels in England. In the centre lies Richard Beauchamp himself: a gilt bronze effigy in full armour, hands raised in prayer, under a hooped bronze frame, on a marble tomb chest lined with weeping figures. Around the walls are the tombs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Elizabeth I, of his brother Ambrose, and of Robert’s little son, the “noble imp”.
The glass and the statues
The chapel’s windows still hold much of their fifteenth-century glass, damaged by Parliamentary soldiers in the Civil War but never destroyed. In the tracery are angels holding scrolls with music written on them. Round the east window are small stone statues, one of the best collections of English fifteenth-century sculpture to survive.
The crypt and the tower
Below the chancel is the Norman crypt, with its round arches and the ducking stool. Then climb the 160 steps of the tower for a view over Warwick, the castle and the Warwickshire countryside.
Visiting
Free to enter
Entry to the church is free. There is a charge to see the chancel and the Beauchamp Chapel, and the tower costs £5 for adults; tickets are sold in the church shop. In winter the church is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.
The hotel link goes to Booking.com. This site earns nothing from it at present — it is here because it is the quickest way to check what is actually available.
Don't miss
- Richard Beauchamp’s effigy Gilt bronze, under a hooped frame.
- The Dudley tombs Elizabeth I’s favourite and his “noble imp”.
- The skeleton vault Free-standing ribs in the chancel.
- Thomas and Katherine An earl and his countess holding hands.
- The ducking stool In the Norman crypt.
- The tower 160 steps to a view over the castle.
Insider tips
Pair it with the castle, and with Stratford. St Mary’s is a few minutes from Warwick Castle, and many of the earls buried here lived there. Holy Trinity at Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare is buried, is eight miles away. Check the opening days in winter, when the church is closed from Monday to Thursday.
Common questions
Does it cost anything to visit St Mary’s, Warwick?
Entry to the church is free, and donations are welcome. There is a charge to see the chancel and the Beauchamp Chapel, and to climb the tower, which costs £5 for adults, with under-16s free. Tickets are sold in the church shop.
When is St Mary’s open?
In summer it is open every day: from 10.30am to 5pm on most weekdays and Saturdays, from 11am on Wednesdays, and from noon on Sundays. In winter it is open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Times can change for weddings, baptisms and funerals, and the church is closed to visitors on Good Friday.
Who is buried in the Beauchamp Chapel?
Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, who died in 1439 and for whom the chapel was built; Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Elizabeth I, with his wife Lettice; his brother Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick; and Robert Dudley’s young son, known as the “noble imp”.
Can you climb the tower?
Yes, whenever the church is open, weather permitting, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. There are 160 steps. Children under seven and dogs are not allowed up, and under-16s must be with an adult.
How do you get to St Mary’s?
The church is in Old Square, in the centre of Warwick, a few minutes’ walk from the castle. Warwick station is about ten minutes away on foot, with trains from Birmingham and London Marylebone. There are pay car parks in the town.
Where to stay and eat nearby
Warwick has hotels, inns and restaurants, and Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon are close by.
More English churches
- Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon — Shakespeare’s church, eight miles away
- Coventry Cathedral — another church rebuilt after a fire
- Tewkesbury Abbey — more medieval tombs of the great families
See all the cathedrals and churches worth visiting in England →