Church Of St Julian

Church of St Julian

Parish church of St Julian at Benniworth, substantially rebuilt in the 19th century but retaining significant medieval fabric.

The church dates from the mid-12th century with extensions in the mid-13th century, followed by alterations in 1769 and 1812. It was almost entirely rebuilt in 1875 by the architect James Fowler. The building is constructed of coursed greenstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings and some ironstone rubble. The roofs are slate with decorative red ridge tiles, stone coped gables and cross-finials.

The church comprises a three-stage 12th-century west tower, a nave with north and south transepts, and a chancel with a north vestry.

The west tower, heavily restored in the 19th century, has single-stage clasping buttresses with plinth. The 12th-century west door, also heavily restored, features a flattened round head with double chevroned inner order and soffit, a single order of billet and outer hollow and roll partially overlapped by rich cusping. The outer jambs are plain rectangular with moulded imposts, while the inner jambs are double chevroned. The door is plank. Above is a slit light with round relieving arch and moulded string courses above and below. The bell stage has bell openings on all four sides, each comprising two round-headed narrow lights with hood mould. The tower has moulded eaves, parapet and a pyramidal slate roof with weathervane.

The north side of the nave has a lancet with hood mould. The north transept, largely rebuilt in 1875 although originally of 1769, has a plinth and string course. Its north side features a central two-stage buttress with plinth and gable, flanked by single lancets with hood moulds and a vesica with hood mould above. The 19th-century north vestry has a two-light rectangular window. An east doorway has a Caernarvon head and plank door.

The chancel, mostly rebuilt in 1875 although of 1769 and 1812 origin, has two-stage angle buttresses flanking the east end with string course and three eastern lancets, the central one being taller, each with hood mould. The south side of the chancel has plinth and moulded string course. A two-stage buttress is flanked by single lancets, each with hood mould. A stone set to the east of the buttress is inscribed "GPAC 26 1812".

The south transept, largely rebuilt in 1875 although originally of 1769, has a large pilaster buttress on its east side and string course. The south side has plinth, string course, a central two-stage buttress with moulded plinth and gable, flanked by single lancets each with hood mould, and a vesica with hood mould above. Two plaques with workmen's names inscribed in plaster record restoration work in 1983.

The south side of the nave retains a high 12th-century string course with a narrow round-headed light below to the east. To the west, a pair of lancets break through the string course, both with hood moulds.

The interior porch has a 19th-century round-headed ironstone doorway with chamfered imposts and rectangular jambs, and plank doors. The north and south transepts have 19th-century two-bay arcades, each with a central round pier, corbelled responds and double-chamfered pointed heads. A mid-13th-century chancel arch has a pointed double-chamfered head, polygonal responds, moulded capitals, large abaci and high plinths.

The north vestry has a 19th-century doorway with pointed head and chamfered surround in one, with filleted hood mould with ornate label stops. A 19th-century aumbry is set to the east. The south wall has a high panelled seat set into the wall beneath a window. A 19th-century reredos has cusped traceried panels. The 19th-century altar rail survives. A 15th-century screen, very heavily restored in 1905, retains 15th-century moulded wood vertical supports and horizontal rail, but has 19th-century cusped traceried panels reusing 15th-century rosettes, six 19th-century statues alternating with coats of arms, and a 19th-century wood cross above the central archway. The interior has 19th-century wagon roofs, a polygonal wooden pulpit and lectern. A 12th-century round font with intersecting arcading survives, very heavily restored in the 19th century.

Dr G C Tennyson, father of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was rector from 1802 to 1831, although he was absent in his later years.