Collegiate Church of St. Mary
Crowded with gilded, carved, and painted tombs, the Beauchamp Chantry within this church is considered one of the finest medieval chapels in England. Despite the wealth of late-medieval and Tudor chivalry, the chapel was built in the 15th century in honor of the somewhat-less-than-chivalrous Richard de Beauchamp, who consigned Joan of Arc to burn at the stake. Alongside his impressive effigy in gilded bronze lie the fine tombs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, adviser and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, and Dudley’s brother, Ambrose. The church’s chancel, distinguished by its flying ribs, houses the alabaster table tomb of Thomas Beauchamp, one of the first Knights of the Order of the Garter, and his wife, Katherine Mortimer. In the Norman crypt, look for the rare ducking stool (a chair in which people were tied for public punishment). It is possible to take part in traditional brass rubbings for free, or for a fee you can climb the tower for sweeping views of the Warwickshire countryside. Check the website for seasonal opening times.
