Description

BENTHAM LOW BENTHAM
SD 66 NW
5/5
Church of St John the
20.2.58 Baptist
GV II*
Parish church. C15 west tower, rest heavily restored by R Norman Shaw, 1876-78.
Squared rubble; stone dressings, slate roof. West tower, north entrance porch.
2 bay nave, north and south aisles, one bay chancel, north vestry, south side
chapel. Perpendicular. 3 stage, west tower. Restored 2-centre head to west
door, dripstone; 1870s 2-leaf plank doors with decorative wrought iron strap
hinges. Second stage: 1870s 3-light Perpendicular with 2-centre heads and curved
dripstone. Bell stage: 2-light trefoil headed window with mouchettes in spandrels;
dripmould. Diagonal buttresses; partly embattled parapet with 4 crocketed finials
all c1980 (2 C15 finials in churchyard, west of tower). North entrance porch
1870s: 2-centre arch entrance with moulded surround; 2-leaf plank door and
decorative wrought iron strap hinges. Half-hipped roof. Nave: Perpendicular
windows with 3 cinquefoil headed lights: hood moulds. 2 similar windows in
clerestorys, and one to vestry. Chancel, 1870s. Stepped east window is 2-centre,
5 lights each have cinquefoil heads. Tudor flower decoration below gable end
parapet. Finials to buttresses and cross at gable end ridge. South wall of
chancel has wreathed C15 2-light chamfered mullioned window with trefoil head
and 1870s hoodmould. 2 similar windows in south wall of south side chapel but
with restored cavetto mullions. Above is late C18/early C19 stone sundial with
floral decoration inscribed LAT 54° 7'; iron gnomon. Interior Nave: font by
Lethaby. c1890. Pulpit by Shaw has stone base and wood surround with linenfold
panelling; exposed king post roof, stone corbels. 2 bay arcade to north and
south aisles. C15 two-centre chancel arch. Chancel: stalls with poppyhead carving
by Shaw. In North wall is 1870s 6-light cinquefoil headed mullioned window with
king mullion at clerestory level, now partly obscured by teak organ case by Shaw
and Lethaby, 1886. Reredos in Caen stone by Shaw, carved by Thomas Earp. Maw's
majolica tiles to walls. Several stained glass window by Heaton, Butler and
Bayne. Stone cruciform carving in south aisle window, probably C13.
Source: A Saint, Richard Norman Shaw (1976); Royal Academy London, plans and
elevations by Shaw.

Listing NGR: SD6447369272

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534944

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair