St Benedict's Church, Lincoln is an ancient church in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...

, England which is mentioned in 1107 and before the

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was the Lincoln civic church. It was extensively destroyed in the Civil War, and was only partially restored. The tower was re-built imitating the other late Anglo-Saxon towers in Lincoln. All that survives is the present

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, which was the chancel of the former church and the chapel to the north built by Robert Tattershall in 1378. The church's bell known as ''Old Kate'', was cast in 1585 and paid for by the Lincoln

barber surgeon The barber surgeon was one of the most common European medical practitioners of the Middle Ages, generally charged with caring for soldiers during and after battle. In this era, surgery was seldom conducted by physicians. Instead, barbers, who ...

s company. The church was closed in 1931 and demolition was proposed. However, following a public outcry, the church was saved as the result of an appeal and renovation work undertaken. It was the headquarters of the Lincoln Diocese

Mothers' Union The Mothers' Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. In addition to mothers, its membership includes parents, men, widows, singles and grandparents. Its main aim is to support monogamous marriage and f ...

but closed in 2018. In June 2020 it became the base for Lincoln Street Pastor

who go out on Saturday and Friday nights to listen, help and care for all those out in the City of Lincoln during the night time economy hours. In April 2022 Unicorn Tree Books moved in to become the Bookshop in St Benedict's when they had to relocate from Lincoln Central Market due to its closure.

Parish of St Benedict

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

was one of the smaller parishes in Lincoln. In the general re-organisation of the Lincoln parishes which took place in 1553, part of the parish of St John's was amalgamated with St Benedict's parish. On Padley's large scale map of 1842, the parish is shown as extending from the

Brayford Pool Brayford Pool is a natural pool formed from a widening of the River Witham in the centre of the city of Lincoln in England. It was used as a port by the Romans – who connected it to the River Trent by constructing the Foss Dyke – and has ...

on the west to Sincil Street on the east. It included the length of the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

from just north of the

River Witham The River Witham is a river almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham at , passes through the centre of Grantham (where it may be closely followed using the Riversi ...

and the High Bridge to the Cornhill to the south.

Furnishings in the church

These include a late 17th-century octagonal panelled oak pulpit and an 18th-century eggcup font with swags and square stem. A royal coat of arms of 1734, was repainted in 1819, with the churchwardens' names. A brass with weepers, 1687, scrolled

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with arms and cherubs, 1739, and a memorial to the noted Lincoln architect

William Adams Nicholson William Adams Nicholson (8 August 1803 – 8 April 1853) was an English architect who worked in Lincoln, England, Lincoln and was a founding member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Life Born on 8 August 1803 at Southwell, Nottingha ...

of 1853.British Listed Buildings
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Gallery

References

Literature

*Antram N (revised), Pevsner N & Harris J, (1989), ''The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire'', Yale University Press. pg 496 {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Benedict's Church, Lincoln

Churches in Lincoln, England

Parish of St Benedict

Furnishings in the church

Gallery

See also: Churches in Lincoln

References

Literature