Building record MLI12786 - Church of All Saints, Benington
Summary
Parish church of early 13th century origin.
Type and Period (1)
- CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
The Church of All Saints has Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular architectural features. {1}{2}{3}
All Saints is essentially an ashlar-faced church. The long four-bay chancel appears Perpendicular, but there are four lancets on the north side, and they are the only preparation one gets for a great surprise inside. The chancel is Early English indeed, and it was intended to be vaulted. The lancets are shafted inside with stiff-leaf capitals, and between them there are, very low down, the springers for a steep rib-vault. Moreover, as one examines them, it becomes clear that they were to be two sexpartite vaults, not four quadripartite ones, ie the French early gothic system taken over at Canterbury in 1175 and then in the Lincoln transepts. The vault at Benington was never built, or else rubble masonry would appear in the spandrels. Also the chancel arch is much too high to allow for the vault. But it is an Early English chancel arch, the responds with three detached shafts, shaft-rings and a semi-circular abacus. Moreover, the stiff-leaf capitals are like those of the lancets. The answer is probably that the chancel arch was heightened to match the nave arcades when these were built, and they are Decorated. Six bays, octagonal piers, double hollow-chamfered arches. On the north side, the bases are circular and may be those of the Early English predecessor arcade. The arcade goes with the Decorated south aisle windows (reticulated west, straight-headed south), the south doorway with four groups of fine mouldings and a hoodmould on big flower stops, and the straight-headed north aisle windows. Decorated also are the sedilia, piscina, and the tomb recess in the chancel, all with the same fine mouldings. The chief Perpendicular additions are the clerestory with six big Perpendicular three-light windows and battlements, the north-east rood-turret, and of course the west tower. The doorway has a charming continuous moulding of quatrefoils and niches left and right, the west window is of four lights, on the buttresses are gablets supported on busts (a Boston motif), the bell-openings are of two lights, and there is a flower frieze under the plain parapet. The tower arch has concave sided, semi-octagonal responds, the nave roof tie-beams on arched braces alternating with angels against principals. Restoration by James Fowler, 1873. The font is octagonal, of ironstone, with two kneeling stones on the base (cf Freiston) and big leaves on the foot. On the stem and the bowl are pretty, but elementary figures under crocketed gables; on one panel the Trinity with two angels. The screen is of one-light divisions, with rounded arches used as the foils of a trefoiled ogee arch over; the doors are preserved. {4}{5}
Parish church of early 13th century origin, with additions and alteraions in the 14th and 15th centuries. Restored by James Fowler in 1873. Built of coursed and squared limestone rubble and ashlar, with slate and lead roofs. The 2-stage late 14th century western tower has a moulded plinth, string courses, parapet and corner buttresses each with a crocketed ogee with beast head corbels half way up. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {6}
The church is very early 13th century in origin, extended with an aisled nave and west tower in the 14th century, the clearstorey being added in the 15th century, at which time many windows were renewed. The church was restored in the late 18th or early 19th century and by Fowler in 1873. {7}
This church contains 15th century medieval glass fragments on a 19th century background. {8}
Historic graffiti at this church was recorded in March 2014 by the Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project. The survey identified a number of historic marks, mostly confined to the nave pillars, but with more seen on the tower stair walls and bell chamber. The marks comprise examples from a wide variety of graffiti types, including a large number of masons marks, witch marks, crosses, circles and geometric shapes. Perhaps the most significant mark, however, is a design that is thought to show a figure playing a trumpet or horn of some kind, possibly associated with another group of figures, who may represent soldiers dating from the 16th century. {9}{10}
Sources/Archives (10)
- <1> SLI2881 Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. TF 34 NE: F.
- <2> SLI2344 Index: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Card Index. TF 34 NE: 3.
- <3> SLI896 Bibliographic Reference: John Charles Cox. 1924. Little Guide: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). pp.60-1.
- <4> SLI860 Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris. 1964. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (First Edition). pp.454-5.
- <5> SLI1062 Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). pp.141-2.
- <6> SLI7655 Index: Department of the Environment. 1987. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 8/3.
- <7> SLI6049 Unpublished Document: Council for the Care of Churches. 2000-2001. Pastoral Measure Report. Benington.
- <8> SLI7602 Bibliographic Reference: Penny Hebgin-Barnes. 1996. The Medieval Stained Glass of the County of Lincolnshire. p. 32.
- <9> SLI17096 Index: Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project. 2013->. Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project Surveys. -.
- <10> SLI17126 Bibliographic Reference: Matthew Champion. 2015. Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches. p.177.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 39711 46512 (48m by 23m) Surveyed |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BENINGTON, BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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Record last edited
Dec 6 2023 10:31AM
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