Church Of St Benedict

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