This ancient parish church is an Anglo-Saxon foundation dating from around 1020, when Canute was King of England. It is dedicated to St Benedict and has been a place of Christian worship for nearly a thousand years. Michael Ramsey, who was to become Archbishop of Canterbury, was vicar here in 1938. The church was staffed from 1945 and 2005 by the society of St Francis, who established the pattern of daily worship following monastic practice.*
For many years St Bene’t’s has been firmly linked with the history of change-ringing, as the famous 17th-century campanologist, Fabian Stedman, is believed to have been the parish clerk here. However, this has been somewhat shaken by the discovery that Stedman appears to have been in London at the same time, suggesting that St Bene’t’s Stedman might be a coincidence rather than the same man**
*From a church leaflet
**From 111 Places in Cambridge that you shouldn’t miss
Those stained glass windows are beautiful.
They are
Beautiful. I especially like the figures supporting the roof beams.
They are rather splendid.
Remember when it was built – I helped with the ceiling.
I didn’t know you were a thousand years old!
I’m not in the least bit religious, but I love visiting chapels, churches and cathedrals.
Churches and Cathedrals have a wealth of history inside them. They wonderful museums
For me there is also the Christian aspect which I especially appreciate in the older buildings.
wo one the most charming church i have ever seen Cheri!
thank you for sharing this
This is a delightful church I am glad you like it