St. Benedict's Square - Part 2

 

Belfry windows at St. Benedict's church

The tower of the old church in St. Benedict’s Square in Lincoln, at first glance, reminded me of the one I had seen less than an hour earlier at the church of St. Mary-le-Wigford, with double round headed windows to the belfry; however, it was actually built c.1670 to resemble this and the other late Saxon church tower in Lincoln – St. Peter at Gowts.

 

The tower at St. Benedict's church

A closer look shows that the tower is butted up against and partly covers the chancel arch. Although I have not seen a plan of the church before a large part of it was demolished, following extensive damage during the English Civil War, it is obviously not part of the original design.

 

A detail of a belfry window

 

The details of the belfry windows, especially the voussoirs to the arches and the shafts, are also not correctly profiled and a large number of well squared blocks are used in the walling, instead of the coursed rubble that would be more appropriate for a Saxon church.

 

The west window of the north chapel

Moving round to the north elevation, it can be seen that the tower also covers up one of the jambs of the west window of the north chapel, with the bed heights of the courses being greater and not bonded with the masonry of the latter.

 

A Perpendicular window in the north chapel

Carrying on to the north chapel, built by Robert Tattershall in 1378, much of the masonry, which consists of blocks that are large and well squared compared to the rubble masonry in the south wall of the chancel, has been rebuilt in brick. Only one Perpendicular Gothic style window with a four centred arch remains in the north wall, but it is likely that others previously existed.

 

The east end of St. Benedict's church

Finishing my very brief exploration of this fascinating church at the east end, the four centre, 3-light arched window at the east window of the chapel, like the one on the north elevation, has tracery with elements of the earlier Decorated Gothic style.

 

The east window of the chancel

The east end of the chancel is built in coursed rubble walling and the 5-light window has Decorated flowing tracery and, in the masonry above, a strange almond shaped oculus has been placed off centre high in the gable.

 

An oculus above the east window of the chancel