Local Information
Go back
Go forward

Old Pictures / Stories If you have any old pictures of Glinton or details of local history please let us know. We would like to add them to this web site.

St Benedicts Church

A church has existed in Glinton since long before the Norman conquest. Early writings show that the Manor of Glintone had a chapel which was subject to the Abbot of St Pega's Monastery. Of the early Saxon church, which was probably a simple rectangular building built using split tree trunks, wattle and clay, nothing remains. It is believed however, that it stood on the same site as the current building since this is the highest knoll of land in the village.

The current church of St Benedict, with it's tall slender spire can be seen from miles around. Indeed, it is considered to be one of the finest needle spires in the land.

John Clare,the poet, although born in Helpston, first went to school in the church, in what is now the Lady Chapel. In the stone doorframe of the church is the inscription 'JC 1808 MARY' which relates to Mary Joyce (1797 - 1838) whom he met and fell in love with around that same time. Mary died a spinster and is buried in the churchyard

The parish records show that in the 1690's the six church bells were rung at 4am and 8pm from Michelmas to Lady Day and a Mr John Haines was paid £1/7/6 (£1.37) per annum to ring the bell and a further £1 to look after them.

In 1715, Robert Fox was paid £1/10 (£1.50) or it was agreed that he could live rent free in return for keeping dogs out of the church during Devine Worship, ordering the clock on the church and ringing the bells.

The earliest dates for baptisms, marriages and burials records are in 1567 when Mary, the child of John Wylebore who lived at the Manor, was baptised.

St. Benedicts used to be a Chapel of Ease for Peakirk and was served by curates until 1875 whan a Rev. W. Wilkinson came to the village and was the first Parson of Glinton.

An interesting feature are the gargoyles on the south side of the roof. 3 show their faces however, the 4th shows the opposite. The story is told that, the mediaeval stonemason was paid according to the items' worth as assessed by the patron. The mason failed to be paid what he considered to be a fair value and showed his displeasure in an appropriate manner.

Part 2