St Benedict's Church, Glastonbury Explained

Church of St Benedict
Coordinates:51.1467°N -2.7197°W
Location:Glastonbury, Somerset, England
Built:14th century
Designation1:Grade I listed building
Designation1 Offname:Church of St Benedict
Designation1 Date:21 June 1950[1]
Designation1 Number:1057966

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

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church of St Benedict. National Heritage List for England. Historic England. 29 December 2015.
  2. Web site: 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. 29 December 2015.
  3. Web site: Brief Historical Guide. St Benedict's Church. 29 December 2015.
  4. News: St Benedict's Church re-dedication service in Glastonbury. 29 December 2015. Central Somerset Gazette. 22 January 2015.
  5. Web site: St Benedict, Glastonbury. A Church Near You. Church of England. 29 December 2015.