Learning

Background

Discover more about Kettering’s local heritage and the history of one of its most important families. Visiting the monuments is a fascinating way to explore local history and to discover more about the people behind the place names. Students will learn about the Montagu and Buccleuch family: John, 2nd Duke of Montagu (1690 – 1749); his wife Lady Mary Churchill, Duchess of Montagu (1689 – 1751); his daughter Lady Mary Montagu (Countess of Cardigan and Duchess of Buccleuch) (1712 – 1775); and his granddaughter Lady Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Buccleuch (1743 – 1827).

The magnificent monuments were created by artists of world renown. The monuments to John and Lady Mary Churchill were created by Louis François Roubiliac. The monument to Lady Mary Montagu was created by artist Peter Mathias Van Gelder, influenced by the neoclassical designs of Robert Adam. The memorial to Elizabeth, Duchess of Buccleuch was created by Thomas Campbell. The monuments have recently been conserved with the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and a range of other funders and supporters.

Find out more about the Montagu Monuments
Read about the Conservation Project

Making a visit

Visiting the church is free for school groups. You can find out more on our Visiting page for information on booking.

On arrival at the church you will be greeted by a volunteer tour guide who will help you store your bags and coats. They will give you a brief introduction to the church and monuments and some practical and safety information. You will then be able to explore the monuments using the free resource sheets and trails below.

Resources

Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Montagu Monuments project has worked with a group of teachers and students to devise these worksheets and learning trails for use on site and post visit classroom resources:

Worksheet 1: Drawing grid (downloadable PDF)
Worksheet 2: It’s all in the detail. Use of adjectives, sketching (downloadable PDF)
Worksheet 3: Different ways of drawing (downloadable PDF)
KS2 higher level: Monuments trail (downloadable PDF)
KS2 lower level: Monuments trail (downloadable PDF) 
Post visit resources (downloadable PDF)
Family trail (downloadable PDF)

Risk Assessment Guidelines

Click here to download a copy of the Risk Assessment Guidelines for a visit to the monuments.