St Benedict's Church, Glastonbury

The Anglican Church of St Benedict at Glastonbury within the English county of Somerset was built in the 14th century with the tower being added in the 15th. It is a Grade I listed building.[1]

Church of St Benedict
LocationGlastonbury, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°08′48″N 2°43′11″W
Built14th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameChurch of St Benedict
Designated21 June 1950[1]
Reference no.1057966
Location of Church of St Benedict in Somerset

History

The first church on the site was dedicated to Saint Benignus in the 11th century, possibly due to confusion with the Anglo-Saxon Beonna.[2] The dedication was changed to Saint Benedict in the 17th century.[1]

The current building is late medieval although the exact date is unknown. The tower was added in the mid 15th century.[1] Abbot Richard Beere (1493–1524) added the north aisle and porch.[1] The stained glass windows were replaced in the 1840s.[3] In 1862 Benjamin Ferrey added the south chapel. Victorian restoration was carried out by J. D. Sedding in the 1880s.[1] During 2014 extensive renovation work was carried out.[4]

The church was a dependent chapel of the nearby Church of St John the Baptist and both were under the control of Glastonbury Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[1] It is now part of a benefice with St Johns and St Mary's & All Saints Church in the village of Meare within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.[5]

Architecture

The Lias stone church has a four-bay nave, north and south aisles, chancel and clerestory.[1] The three-stage west tower is supported by set back buttresses. It has an embattled parapet.[1] It contains six bells, five of which date from 1776.[2]

The interior includes a 13th-century piscina.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Church of St Benedict". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  2. Siraut, M. C.; Williamson, Elizabeth. "Glastonbury: Town. In A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 9, Glastonbury and Street". British History Online. Victoria County History. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  3. "Brief Historical Guide". St Benedict's Church. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  4. "St Benedict's Church re-dedication service in Glastonbury". Central Somerset Gazette. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  5. "St Benedict, Glastonbury". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
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