St Benedict's Church, Glastonbury
| Church of St Benedict | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Glastonbury, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°08′48″N 2°43′11″W / 51.14667°N 2.71972°W |
| Built | 14th century |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Church of St Benedict |
| Designated | 21 June 1950[1] |
| Reference no. | 1057966 |
  Location of Church of St Benedict in Somerset | |
The Anglican Church of St Benedict at Glastonbury within the English county of Somerset was built as a Norman chapel in the 11th century with substantial additions in the 15th and 19th centuries. It is a Grade I listed building.[1]
History
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Church of St Benedict". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Brief Historical Guide". St Benedict's Church. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ "St Benedict's Church re-dedication service in Glastonbury". Central Somerset Gazette. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ "St Benedict, Glastonbury". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
