Church of St. Mary

Church of St. Mary, Lower Benefield

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1189042
Date first listed:: 23-May-1967
List Entry Name:: Church of St. Mary
Statutory Address:: Church of St. Mary, Lower Benefield

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Date:: 2003-01-31
Reference:: IOE01/09913/13
Rights:: © Mr Roger Ashley. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1189042
Date first listed:: 23-May-1967
List Entry Name:: Church of St. Mary
Statutory Address 1:: Church of St. Mary, Lower Benefield

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Church of St. Mary, Lower Benefield

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: North Northamptonshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Benefield
National Grid Reference:: SP 98812 88470

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29 April 2022 to remove superfluous amendment details and to reformat the text to current standards

SP9888 13/16

BENEFIELD LOWER BENEFIELD Church of St. Mary

23/05/67

GV II*

Church. Medieval origins, largely rebuilt c.1847 by John Macduff Derick for Watts-Russell family of Biggin Hall (q.v.). Restored 1897 and 1901. Limestone ashlar and squared coursed limestone with Collyweston slate roof. Aisled nave, chancel, north chapel, porch and west tower. Decorated style. South elevation of chancel is a three-window range of tall, two-light, windows. Two-stage buttresses between windows. Steep gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and finial. Five-light east window has reticulated tracery and may be re-used from earlier building. Flanking two-stage buttresses and niche above.

North elevation of chancel of one-window range similar to south elevation. North chapel abuts two bays of chancel. Two-window range of two-light windows, all similar to the chancel. Separate gabled roof and lower eaves level. Two-light east window. Rectangular porch with lean-to stone roof in angle between chancel and north chapel. Doorway has Caernarvon head set in lean-to projection across outer corner.

South aisle of four bays; three-window range of three-light windows with four-centred arch heads. South door, in bay to left of centre, has two-centred arch head and chamfered and moulded surround. All openings to this side have carved label stops. Flat two-stage buttresses between windows have gablets to lower stage. Stone gutter with flower head frieze. Steep gabled roof with gable parapets, kneelers and finials. Three-light east and west windows with complex tracery.

North aisle of three bays. Two-window range of three-light windows under four-centred arch heads. Steep gabled roof has stone gutter with corbel table decorated with ball flowers. Ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finials. Gabled porch, in centre bay, has doorways with two-centred arch heads and floret decoration. Three-light west window. North transept breaks forward to left. Three-light north window has geometrical tracery. Small door in return wall. Octagonal stone flue at intersection of north aisle and transept. All openings have carved label stops.

Nave clerestory of four-window range of three-light and curved triangle windows, not visible behind aisle roofs. Steep gabled roof with stone gutter, ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finial. West tower of two stages with chamfered plinth and four-stage angle buttresses to lower stage. Lower stage is probably medieval. Small C19 west doorway, with Caernarvon head has two-light window above. Two stairway slits to right. Quatrefoil circle in north and south face. Upper stage is c.1847 with pair of two-light bell-chamber openings to each face. Moulded corbel table with gargoyles at corners. Octagonal, ashlar, broach spire has two tiers of lucarnes.

Interior: four-bay nave arcade of double chamfered arches with circular and octagonal piers, each with different capitals. Double chamfered chancel arch with continuous responds. Polygonal respond of medieval chancel arch is visible to left side in chancel. Triple-chamfered tower arch, with polygonal responds, is probably medieval, restored 1847. Double chamfered arches to north chapel and north transept. C19 roof structures. Nave has arched braced trusses with curved wind bracing; chancel and north chapel are panelled, and have painted barrel vaults. c.1847 chancel screen and rood loft with wooden spiral stair. The rood figures above are c.1904 by Sir Ninian Comper. Painted wall decoration behind. Similar north chapel screen and organ case in north chapel. North transept screen. c.1926 has reset openwork centre panel of c.1700 and flanking turned balusters. Similar reredos to altar in north transept. This chapel was designed c.1926 by Hon. C. Yorke in memory of Captain Arthur Egerton Watts-Russell of Biggin Hall (q.v.). Encaustic tiled floors. C19 stained glass to east windows and south aisle windows, other windows have painted and coloured glass. Two medieval misericords said to have come from Church of St. Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay (q.v.). Altar reredos by Comper. C19 stone pulpit and C19 octagonal font.

Monuments: Elizabeth Grant died 1698 inscribed brass tablet, north wall of chancel. Mark Lewis died 1620, marble slab in tower.

(Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.105; V.C.H.: Northamptonshire, Vol.3, p.76).

Listing NGR: SP9881288470

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 232737
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1961), 105
Ryland, W, Adkins, D, Sejeantson, R, The Victoria History of the County of Northampton, (1930), 76

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.