St Swithuns Church, Long Bennington
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Statement of Significance/ Need
Background
St Swithuns Church is grade I listed. The church is located on the southern edge of the village away
from the residential area. There is a small parking area beyond the west boundary with a ‘grasscrete’
type hard standing. There is a lytch gate to the west boundary giving access to the church along a
long stone flag footpath. The footpath is now very uneven and is a barrier to many elderly visitors to
the church. On the outer edge of the village the church doesn’t benefit from any external lighting.
The church notice board fell apart last year and has been replaced with a new PPC aluminium notice
board for which the PCC are seeking retrospective consent.
The application seeks to provide:
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A level footpath that can be accessed by all
Bollard lighting to provide safe access
Obtain retrospective consent for the replacement notice board.
The History
Listing Description:
Grade I
Parish Church. Early C13, C14, C15, C19, restored 1902-3 by Scorer and Gamble. Limestone ashlar,
coursed rubble, blue lias, some rendering, slate roofs. West tower, nave with north and south aisles, 2
storey south porch, rectangular chancel. Moulded plinth runs round whole church, much restored in
C20. West tower of 3 stages, the lower of early C13, the upper C15. First stage, west front has lancet
with hood mould, second stage has narrow rectangular light. South corner clasped by broad buttress
containing stairs and 3 small lights. North buttress narrower, of 3 stages with nook shafts, including a
water leaf capital. Bell openings on all 4 sides, each with paired pointed lights with transom and
cusping under ogee hood mould with large spandrel corbel head supporting a pilaster running to the
top of tower. Moulded eaves with battle-ments, projecting gargoyles and 8 ornate pinnacles above.
Early C14 north aisle of coursed rubble and rendering with ashlar bands and 4 ashlar buttresses each
of 2 stages. West windows of 2 lights with ogee cusped heads, transom, lower round headed cusped
lights all beneath a pointed hood mould. Small north door with moulded, pointed head, hood mould
and large head label stops. 2 large pointed windows each of 3 lights with cusped ogee heads,
irregular mouchettes, transom with lower, round headed cusped lights. Moulded eaves. East window
set in coursed rubble and blue lias, of 3 lights, reticulated tracery and hood mould. Clerestory of 3
C15 windows, each of 3 lights under low pitched triangular heads. 2 large gargoyles at eaves.
Chancel's north side contains single large C15 4 light window surmounted by 8 smaller cusped lights
under a low pitched triangular head. 2 large gargoyles at eaves. East end has corner buttresses of 3
stages. East window restored in 1902-3, of 5 lights under low pitched triangular head. Parapet runs
round chancel with C15 finial. South side of chancel contains 2 windows, to the east of 3 lights
surmounted by 6 cusped lights, to the west, of 4 lights surmounted by 8 cusped lights, both with hood
moulds. Small C15 doorway with weathered capitals and head label stops. C20 brick chimney. Early
C14 east window of south aisle of 3 lights with transom dividing the reticulated tracery. 2 stage
buttresses with ornate gables. 2 large pointed windows, both of 3 lights with reticulated tracery, hood
moulds and label stop heads. Blue lias rubble porch with ashlar quoins and dressings. South front has
a splayed doorway of 3 columnar jambs on each side, with plain capitals and pointed arch with keeled
mouldings. Above is a small window of 2 lights with trefoil heads, hood mould and head label stops.
Porch interior has 2 stone benches and a blocked, pointed doorway in west wall originally leading to
upper floor. Completely restored early C13 doorway with polygonal shafts and scallop and dart
Soul Architects Limited, 13 Sparken Hill, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1AX
■ 01909 500710
■ [email protected]
■www.soularchitects.co.uk
St Swithuns Church, Long Bennington
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capitals. C17 wooden door. In upper south-west corner the base of the staircase above protrudes.
West window of south aisle, of 3 lights, reticulated tracery divided by transom, with hood mould.
Clerestory of 3 windows, each of 3 lights under low pitched triangular heads. 2 large gargoyles at
eaves. Much of the tracery and mouldings of exterior of whole church restored to varying degrees in
C19 and 1902-3. Interior tower arch has very plain polygonal pilaster responds and plain pointed arch.
Tower has irregular 5 part vault with central oculus and small doorway in south west corner. Early
C13 nave arcades of 3 bays with round piers and semi-circular responds with octagonal abaci.
Capitals of north east respond and pier to west of it are decorated with flat leaves. The rest are plain.
The round moulded arches contain keeled rolls and small heads in spandrels. Above arcade on both
sides are B corbels revealing C13 roof level. Early C13 pointed chancel arch with semi-circular
responds, polygonal abaci, hood mould and C19 head label stops. In the chancel's south wall is a
large cusped and finialed recess, and to the east, 3 aumbries. On north wall are 4 C15 sedilia of wood
with carved angels as arm rests and St.John and St. Mark as bench ends. North and south of altar
are single corbels set in east wall. C17 pulpit much restored in C19, of 6 slender panels and doorway
with ornate moulded arches and pilasters and moulded rail. C12 octagonal stone font on short
polygonal pillars with polygonal capitals with C12 stiff leaf capitals set above. C17 screen, heavily
restored in C19. Some murals visible in fragmentary condition, especially over chancel arch.
Hatchment of 1737. Monument on chancel's south wall to the Brown family 1764-81, of inlaid coloured
marbles and ornate lettering and decoration. To the west, a moulded stone tablet to the Brown family
1700-19. Late C19 pews
The Proposals
The stone flag footpath provides historic value to the church yard and the loss of the flags is
undesirable. Therefore a solution has been developed where a new central resin bound footpath
1000mm wide flanked by 450mm wide Yorkstone flags cut to a regular width. The footpath needs to
be 1000mm wide to accommodate mobility scooters and funeral directors trolleys.
 Stone flags carefully lifted and cut to a
regular 450mm width
 Resin bound gravel over a tarmac base
layer. 1000mm wide
 Yorkstone bedded and pointed in lime
mortar
 All excavations by hand under the
supervision of an archaeologist (watching
brief)
 Bollard lighting at regular intervals on time
clock
Existing stone flag footpath showing the uneven surface
Soul Architects Limited, 13 Sparken Hill, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1AX
■ 01909 500710
■ [email protected]
■www.soularchitects.co.uk
St Swithuns Church, Long Bennington
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Notice Board
The notice board has been erected in place of the previous timber notice board which had fallen apart
and could no longer be used. The Notice board is in PPC aluminium with two lockable areas for local
notices to be fixed, the central area provides church contact and service information.
The notice board is 1800mm wide x 1050mm high.
New Church Notice Board
Lighting
Proposed LED 700mm bollard lighting to footpath by Thorn or similar.
LED bollard. Electronic, fixed output control gear. Class II electrical, IP65. Top and body: Aluminium
powder coated grey 900. Diffuser: semi-opal anti-UV Polycarbonate (PC). Suitable for flange
mounting or with root spike (available separately). Complete with 3000K LED
Dimensions: Ø150 x 700 mm Total power: 14 W Weight: 4.15 kg
 Lamp position:STD - standard
 Light Source:LED
Soul Architects Limited, 13 Sparken Hill, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1AX
■ 01909 500710
■ [email protected]
■www.soularchitects.co.uk
St Swithuns Church, Long Bennington
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Luminaire luminous flux*:507 lm
Luminaire efficacy*:36 lm/W
Lamp efficacy:36 lm/W
Correlated colour temperature*:3000 Kelvin
Ballast:1x EL2
Luminaire input power*:14 W Lambda = 0.97
The Need
The condition of the footpath and flags which is now hazardous and must be improved, it is already
dangerous in wintery conditions and restricting elderly visitors to the church. Rather than just repair
the footpath, the PCC need to improve access to the church for all and will introduce access
improvements internally to aid entry into the church.
By improving the footpath, providing external lighting, relaying the stone flags with a resin gravel
central walkway the PCC can significantly improve access and enhance the visitor experience to this
building.
The church notice board is essential to keep the local community and visitors informed.
The proposals have been endorsed by Lincoln DAC and Faculty papers have been submitted to the
Chancellor.
Soul Architects Limited, 13 Sparken Hill, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1AX
■ 01909 500710
■ [email protected]
■www.soularchitects.co.uk