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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.  Leaflets are available with the full history at the back of the Church.

Leaflet

Leaflet

The church tower  was probably completed around 1033. It is likely that it was built to contain bells from the beginning, but the earliest record of bells in the tower dates to the 13th century - the bell of St Bene’t’s was used to summon students to special lectures and to examinations. The Rector, Alan, complained about this in 1273, but was persuaded by the Bishop of Ely to permit the bell to be used 'in a civil and honest way'. Thereafter the parish clerk was paid an annual fee of six shillings and eightpence for such ringing. It is likely that there was more than one bell in the tower so it may have possessed a peal of four bells; the tenor was the best bell in town.

For many years after that, St Bene’t's bells were used for summoning to 'ye schooles ... acts, clearums, congregations, lecturs, disses, and such like' according to a receipt for the six shillings and eightpence dated 1624. In 1553 there were 'thre great Belles and one Sanctus Bell', but by 1650 they were 'much out of frame and almost become uselesse'. In 1655 the churchwardens appealed for money to repair the bells. The University gave thirty shillings, with the caveat that it was a free gift, not to be regarded as setting a precedent. Corpus Christi College also gave money.

Saxon: The Tower is Saxon, and the round holes are thought to have been made to encourage owls to nest - and therefore catch mice. The tower has distinctive “long and short” corner dressings of Barnack stone. The bell opening is carved from a single stone.

All four original Saxon cornerstones, or quoins, can still be seen inside the church, along with the magnificent Saxon arch. All display typical long-and-short Saxon stonework.