Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

SOUTH BENFLEET HIGH STREET TQ 78 NE 1/12 Church of St. Mary the Virgin 7-8-52

GV 1

Parish church. C12 west end of Nave. C13 Chancel arch. Early C14 west tower. During C15 the Chancel, Chancel arch, south arcade and south aisle were rebuilt. Late C15 south porch, c.1500 north aisle and clerestorey. C17 repairs and C19/C20 restorations. Ashlar, rubble, flint and Roman brick, timber south porch, red plain tiled roofs. Chancel, east wall, angle buttresses, C19/C20 3 light window with roundel over under 2 centre arched head , label and stops. North wall with angle and centre buttresses, 2 repaired C15 windows of 2 cinquefoiled lights, tracery over under 2 centre arched heads, labels over, 2 similar south wall windows with a chamfered 2 centre arched doorway of the same date between. Crenellated north aisle, angle and 2 centre buttresses, the latter with a blocked 2 centre arched doorway between. East wall C20 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights with quatrefoil in a 4 centred head, west wall window similar to those in Chancel north wall. Western north wall window similar to that in east wall, eastern window of 3 cinquefoil lights under a 4 centred head. Clerestorey 3 C15 windows of 2 cinquefoil lights under square heads. Nave eastern gable, 3 small C16 windows with rounded heads, one blocked. West tower of 3 stages. Each face of ground floor has a small trefoiled light with square head, similar second stage south and west windows, belfry north, south and west windows of 2 trefoiled lights under square heads and labels, some restored. Clock faces to north and south walls, flint flushwork bands to upper stage, first stage buttresses to west, north west and south west angles. Crenellated south aisle. 4 C15 windows similar to those in Chancel. Between the 2 south wall windows is a C15 doorway with moulded jambs and 2 centred head. Clerestorey with 3 lights similar to those in north wall. Fine south porch, of 2 bays each with 4 cusped side wall lights. Moulded and chamfered 2 centred arch with traceried spandrels, ogee side lights with vertical tracery over. Moulded and crenellated tie beam with 3 panels over, each with moulded mullions and traceried head. Moulded bargeboards. Interior, with central moulded hammer beam, moulded arched braces, moulded wall plates, moulded and crenellated side purlins. Side seats. C20 wrought iron mullions to all lights and C19/C20 restorations. Segmental headed stoup east of doorway. Interior. Chancel, roof of 4 bays, 4 armed octagonal crown posts with moulded capitals and bases, moulded wall plates. C15 piscina, moulded jambs, cinquefoiled arch in square head. C19 and C20 stained glass windows. C20 dado panelling to choir walls. Painted reredos designed by Sir Charles Nicholson and painted by his mother, Lady Nicholson. Traceried screen by Sir Charles Nicholson, the lower panels painted by his daughter, Miss Barbara Nicholson, rood beam with Christ and the 2 Maries. Early C15 2 centred Chancel arch of 2 hollow chamfered orders, mid C13 responds with 3 attached shafts, continuous moulded capitals and bases. Nave. C20 3 cant roof with 4 plain tie beams. 4 carved face corbel stones to north and south walls. C20 octagonal pulpit. Font. C13 Purbeck marble stem with C19 square bowl, 3 roundels to each face, foliate carved soffit, 4 side shafts, moulded base. West wall, C12 doorway with round head, imposts and jambs of 2 orders. High up are 2 blocked C12 round headed windows with wide splays. C20 organ to specification of Sir Sidney Nicholson by Harrison and Harrison of Durham. North arcade of 2 centre arches of 2 chamfered orders, columns with 4 attached shafts, moulded capitals and bases. North aisle. Niche at angle to north and east walls. Rood loft stairway. Medieval glass quarries and borders to east and north west windows. Since 1945 many windows throughout the church have been filled with stained glass figures. Piscina, chamfered segmental pointed head and round drain. South arcade, 2 centred arches of 2 chamfered orders, octagonal piers and semi-octagonal responds, moulded capitals and bases, some capitals are re-used c.1300 work. Square headed niche in east respond. South aisle. Niche with pointed head in south wall. Piscina. Moulded jambs, trefoiled ogee head. C13 coffin lid, inscription in Norman French said to read "Here lies Marcelie, Pray for her soul". West tower with south east internal spiral staircase of timber with octagonal newel. A monumental slab is reputed to be under the Chancel floor, directly in front of the altar. The slab was re-discovered in 1978. Indents and 3 pairs of trefoils adjoining the bracket stem were all that remained of the bracket brass, fragments from elsewhere have since be relaid. The slate commemorates Thomas Blosme and his wife Olive, the stone was laid circa 1400 when she died, Thomas died 1440. John Dobson, Guide to the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Listing NGR: TQ7782986138

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

116830

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Dobson, J, Guide to the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin South Benfleet, ()

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.