St Mary's Church, Barton Bendish
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Barton Bendish, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Barton Bendish
, Norfolk
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner
was of the opinion that its west door is "one of the best Norman
doorways in England". The church stands in an isolated position to the west of the village.
s in 1858 and 1871.
and carstone, parts of which have been rendered
. The roofs are thatched
. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
and a chancel
with a north vestry
, and a bellcote at the west end. The west doorway dates from the middle of the 12th century. Above it is a two-light window dating from 1858. On the west gable
is a bellcote of 1871. In the south wall of the nave is a doorway with a plain arch, and to its east is a two-light early 14th-century window. The south wall of the chancel contains a two-light window, a priest's door over which is a finial
, and a three-light 19th-century square-headed window. The east window has three lights. On the north side of the chancel is a two-light window, and there is another two-light window in the north wall of the nave.
Inside the church are box pew
s dating from 1789; these were cut down in size in 1865. On the south wall of the nave are the remains of a wall painting depicting Saint Catherine
with her wheel.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Barton Bendish
Barton Bendish
Barton Bendish is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is east of Downham Market, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies south of the town of Kings Lynn.The nearest railway station is at Downham Market for the Fen Line which runs...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
was of the opinion that its west door is "one of the best Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorways in England". The church stands in an isolated position to the west of the village.
History
The church dates from the 14th century. It formerly had a tower, but this fell in 1710. The church was restored in 1788–89. During this restoration a 12th-century doorway was moved into it from the nearby church of All Saints, which was being demolished. There were further restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
s in 1858 and 1871.
Architecture
St Mary's is constructed in brick, rubbleRubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
and carstone, parts of which have been rendered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. The roofs are thatched
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with a north vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, and a bellcote at the west end. The west doorway dates from the middle of the 12th century. Above it is a two-light window dating from 1858. On the west gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
is a bellcote of 1871. In the south wall of the nave is a doorway with a plain arch, and to its east is a two-light early 14th-century window. The south wall of the chancel contains a two-light window, a priest's door over which is a finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
, and a three-light 19th-century square-headed window. The east window has three lights. On the north side of the chancel is a two-light window, and there is another two-light window in the north wall of the nave.
Inside the church are box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s dating from 1789; these were cut down in size in 1865. On the south wall of the nave are the remains of a wall painting depicting Saint Catherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
with her wheel.