Church Of St Mary

TM 36 SE BENHALL

2/2 Church of St Mary 7.12.66

II*

Parish church. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north transept and north vestry. Random flint with stone dressings; slated roof to nave and lead roof to chancel. C15 tower, unbuttressed: 2 light bell chamber openings to each face with a further cinquefoil-headed bell chamber opening to west; crenellated parapet with flushwork decoration; string course to base of parapet with stone carvings at intervals; west doorway with original plank door, hood mould with carved shields as label stops. Nave and chancel largely C15, considerably restored C19 with renewed windows, although east window probably largely original. Priest's doorway renewed, with C19 shallow gabled porch. C12 south door to nave with one order of colonettes and chevron moulding to front and soffit of arch, considerably restored. C15 south porch: doorway arch decorated with'fleurons; empty niche above door. North transept and vestry are mid C19 additions in the Perpendicular style, the vestry with an east window to match that of the chancel. Interior with a good set of C19 box pews, C17 octagonal pulpit, plain C19 font, C19 west gallery. Arms of George III above south nave door. The east window contains 4 coloured armorial shields. Brasses to Edward Duke and Dorothy his wife (1598) and to Ambrose Duke and Elizabeth his ife (1610), both in chancel floor. Good hanging monument on north chancel wall to Sir Edward Duke (d. 1732) and others of his family: large inscribed plate flanked by marble columns and supported on consoles; pedimented top with 2 putti. Arched recess within north chancel wall contains memorial tablets to Edmund Holland (d.1884) and Edward Holland (d.1829). South transept now screened by organ; the chapel was dedicated in 1978. Graded II" for interior features.

Listing NGR: TM3720961861