Benefield
Encyclopedia
Benefield is a civil parish
in East
Northamptonshire
, England, along the A427 road
and about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Corby
and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Oundle
.
refers to it as Benefield.
it had a population of 308, 146 males and 162 females in 138 households.
and Lower Benefield
. The village has its own Parish Council. The local district council is East Northamptonshire Council where the village is part of Oundle Ward and the county council is Northamptonshire County Council where it is in Oundle division.
Upper Benefield has 'The Wheatsheaf' pub and hotel, originally a coaching inn
dating from the 17th century. There is also a cricket
club.
Benefield Parish Church in Lower Benefield is dedicated to St Mary and is part of the Rural Deanery of Oundle is part of the Archdeaconry of Oakham
within the Diocese of Peterborough
. The church was re-built in 1847 and paid for by James Watts Russell of Biggin Hall, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Benefield (see below). Only the chancel of the old church was retained, dating from the 14th-century.
of ca.1750. There are two pavilions
at each end. Miles Joseph Berkeley
(1 April 1803 – 30 July 1889), an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology, was born in the Hall.
, stating that peace having been made between the king and his barons, they were not to go out of the castle nor do any ill in those parts. It was probably in the following year that, the castle being held for Edward the king's son, the men of the castle plundered the manor of Biggin and crossed the river to Oundle, where and at Ashton they took a number of cattle. The men of Oundle, however, made a counter-attack and recovered many of their beasts. Not long after this date the castle was probably dismantled. In 1298 it is described as an old castle, (fn. 4) and in 1315 the site of the castle only is referred to. (fn. 5) It continued a ruin and is so described in 1378.
as its centrepiece. The Hall was occupied by the Belville family in the 1930s. When they left its size was reduced and parts auctioned off including the elaborate large porch.
52°29′N 0°32′W
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in East
East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden, which is the largest town in the area...
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England, along the A427 road
A427 road
The A427 road is a major road in the English Midlands. It connects the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and the A6 with the Northamptonshire town of Oundle and the A605.-History:...
and about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Oundle
Oundle
Oundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
.
History
The name has evolved from Benefield (11th century); Banefield, Benifeld (12th); Beningfelde, Benefilde, Berifelde, Benetfeld, Benifeud, Beningfeud (13th); Benyngfielde alias Benefielde alias Beddingfielde (16th). The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
refers to it as Benefield.
Demographics
According to the 2001 CensusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 308, 146 males and 162 females in 138 households.
Governance
The parish consists of Upper BenefieldUpper Benefield
Upper Benefield is a linear village along the A427 road in East Northamptonshire, England. It is part of the civil parish of Benefield....
and Lower Benefield
Lower Benefield
Lower Benefield is a village on the A427 road in East Northamptonshire, England. It is part of the civil parish of Benefield.- External links :*...
. The village has its own Parish Council. The local district council is East Northamptonshire Council where the village is part of Oundle Ward and the county council is Northamptonshire County Council where it is in Oundle division.
Facilities
Lower Benefield has a village hall which was refurbished in 2009.Upper Benefield has 'The Wheatsheaf' pub and hotel, originally a coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
dating from the 17th century. There is also a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club.
Benefield Parish Church in Lower Benefield is dedicated to St Mary and is part of the Rural Deanery of Oundle is part of the Archdeaconry of Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
within the Diocese of Peterborough
Diocese of Peterborough
The Diocese of Peterborough forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. Its seat is the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, which was originally founded as a monastery in AD 655 and re-built in its present form between 1118 and 1238.Founded at the Dissolution...
. The church was re-built in 1847 and paid for by James Watts Russell of Biggin Hall, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Benefield (see below). Only the chancel of the old church was retained, dating from the 14th-century.
Biggin Hall
The Hall dates from ca.1700 and is partly hidden behind a porticoPortico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
of ca.1750. There are two pavilions
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
at each end. Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
(1 April 1803 – 30 July 1889), an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology, was born in the Hall.
Benefield Castle
Established in 1208, all that remains is a moated platform west of the church. It has been derelict since 1315 or earlier. It may have been one of the numerous forts thrown up during the anarchy of King Stephen's reign (1138–44). It was in existence in 1208, when John seized it for the debts of Hugh de Lisurs. On 15 May 1264, the day following the Battle of Lewes, Henry III, while a prisoner with Simon de Montfort, issued a mandate to the knights and others in Benefield CastleBenefield Castle
Benefield Castle was sited in the village of Lower Benefield, between the towns of Corby and Oundle in Northamptonshire at .Originally the site of a Norman manor house, a stone ringwork fortress was built in the 13th century. It was abandoned by the early 14th century. It now consists of a...
, stating that peace having been made between the king and his barons, they were not to go out of the castle nor do any ill in those parts. It was probably in the following year that, the castle being held for Edward the king's son, the men of the castle plundered the manor of Biggin and crossed the river to Oundle, where and at Ashton they took a number of cattle. The men of Oundle, however, made a counter-attack and recovered many of their beasts. Not long after this date the castle was probably dismantled. In 1298 it is described as an old castle, (fn. 4) and in 1315 the site of the castle only is referred to. (fn. 5) It continued a ruin and is so described in 1378.
Fermyn Woods Hall
Located about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west has an Elizabethan centre in the plan of a letter 'E' with neo-Elizabethan extensions of ca.1850. The south side of the stables has the gateway from nearby Lyveden New BieldLyveden New Bield
Lyveden New Bield is an unfinished summer house in the parish of Aldwinkle St Peter in the county of Northamptonshire, England.-Construction:...
as its centrepiece. The Hall was occupied by the Belville family in the 1930s. When they left its size was reduced and parts auctioned off including the elaborate large porch.
External links
52°29′N 0°32′W