Description

HORNING CHURCH ROAD
TG 31 NE
8/47 Church of St. Benedict
16.4.55
G.V. II*

Parish church. C13 nave, aisles and chancel, all remodelled C14. Bequests
for tower 1490 and 1524. North aisle demolished 1721. Restored 1874. Flint
with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. 3 stage west tower with stepped diagonal
buttresses. Flushwork in plinth course. 3-light Perpendicular west window.
Square ringing chamber sound holes with 4 petal tracery (set diagonally).
String courses between stages. 2-light cusped reticulated belfry windows below
crenellated parapet. Stairs to south-east. 2-light reticulated aisle west
window. Aisle with diagonal corner buttresses. Gabled south porch entered
through chamfered and hollow chamfered doorway. Cusped side lights. Multiply
wave moulded inner south door. 3 square-headed 2-light south aisle windows.
4 similar 2-light clerestory windows to north and south. Perpendicular 3-light
aisle east window. 2 south chancel 2-light windows, one Perpendicular with
4-centred arch, the other reticulated and arched. Stepped side buttress and
diagonal east buttresses. Chamfered Priest's door with dog tooth hood mould
survives from C13 build. 3-light C19 Perpendicular east window. Lean-to vestry
against chancel north wall. To west a 2-light Perpendicular window as before.
North nave arcades blocked and re-set with 3 2-light ogeed windows. Chamfered
north door. Interior. 4 bay octagonal C14 south arcade with moulded bases
and capitals supporting double chamfered arches. 4 bay circular C13 arcade
embedded in north nave wall. Circular moulded capitals under chamfered arches.
Clerestory windows over apexes of arches. Tall tower arch with jamb mouldings
of bowtell and casements. Polygonal responds. Double chamfered chancel arch
on circular responds and polygonal capitals. 4-centred rood stair doorway in
south pier leads to steps. Nave roof 1874 : arched braces to collars on false
hammerbeams, the hammerbeams supported on further arched braces dropping to
crenellated C19 corbels. Similar south aisle roof. Rectangular cusped piscina
in south aisle. Early C14 octagonal font. Splayed stem with annulated columns.
Panels of bowl alternate between paired trefoiled arches and cusped squares.
Billet crenellations above. Several C16 poppyhead bench ends in nave. 4 C16
chancel stall bench ends with lively figurative or animal carvings : a Pelican,
a scene of devils forcing souls into the jaws of Hell, writhing snakes
persecuting lost souls in an unpleasant manner. Good figurative arm rests.
Renewed cusped piscina. Chancel roof as nave.

Listing NGR: TG3549016553

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17556403

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)