St Benedict's Church, Lincoln facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Benedict's Church, Lincoln |
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St Benedict’s Church, by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm, 1784
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| Location | Lincoln, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Now the Lincoln Street Pastors Base & Office, and Unicorn Tree Bookshop. |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 8 October 1953 |
| Style | Medieval |
| Closed | 1931 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Lincoln |
St Benedict's Church in Lincoln, England, is a very old church. It was first mentioned in the year 1107. Before the English Civil War, it was an important church for the city of Lincoln.
During the Civil War, the church was badly damaged. Only parts of it were rebuilt. The tower was made to look like other old Anglo-Saxon towers in Lincoln. Today, the part of the church that remains is the nave (the main part where people sit). This used to be the chancel (the area near the altar) of the older church. There is also a small chapel on the north side, built by Robert Tattershall in 1378.
The church has a special bell called Old Kate. It was made in 1585 and paid for by the Lincoln barber surgeons company (a group of people who were both barbers and surgeons). The church closed in 1931, and there were plans to tear it down. But many people protested, and the church was saved. It was then renovated (fixed up). For a while, it was the main office for the Lincoln Diocese Mothers' Union, a Christian charity. It closed again in 2018.
In June 2020, St Benedict's Church became the home for Lincoln Street Pastors [1]. These volunteers go out on Friday and Saturday nights to help and care for people in Lincoln's city centre. In April 2022, a bookshop called Unicorn Tree Books moved into the church. They needed a new home after their old location in Lincoln Central Market closed.
Contents
The Parish of St Benedict
A parish is like a local area that a church serves. St Benedict's had one of the smaller parishes in Lincoln. In 1553, when Lincoln's parishes were reorganized, part of St John's parish joined with St Benedict's.
On a large map from 1842 by Padley, the parish stretched from the Brayford Pool in the west to Sincil Street in the east. It included a long part of the High Street, from just north of the River Witham and the High Bridge down to the Cornhill area.
Inside the Church: Furnishings
The church has some interesting old items:
- A wooden pulpit from the late 1600s. It has eight sides and is made of oak.
- A stone font from the 1700s. A font is a basin used for baptisms. This one looks like an eggcup and has decorative carvings.
- A royal coat of arms from 1734. This was repainted in 1819 and includes the names of the churchwardens (people who help manage the church).
- A brass plaque from 1687 with figures called "weepers" (people shown crying).
- A fancy carved frame (called a cartouche) with arms and cherubs from 1739.
- A memorial from 1853 for William Adams Nicholson, a famous architect from Lincoln.
Images for kids
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War Memorial and St Benedict's church, High Street, Lincoln
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St Benedict's church
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St Benedict's church
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St Benedict's former chancel, now nave to church
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Tomb canopy, St Benedict's Lincoln
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St Benedict's Lincoln. Chancel arcade column with 'stiff leaf' decoration
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Chapel Roof, St Benedict's Lincoln
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Royal coat of arms
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