St Margaret's Church, High Bentham

St Margaret's Church is in Station Road, High Bentham, North Yorkshire, England. It is an Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven, and the Diocese of Leeds. Its benefice is united with that of St John the Baptist, Low Bentham. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

1. History

St Margaret's was built in 1837. It was extended in 1901–02 by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley. The additions included a new chancel, transepts, organ chamber and vestries. The plaster ceiling was removed from the nave, which was reseated, and a tower screen and pulpit were installed. These alterations cost £2,014 (equivalent to £280,000 in 2023). The church was closed in 2012 and subsequently converted into two private homes. The congregation either meets at St Boniface's Roman Catholic Church, or at St John's Church in Low Bentham.

1. Architecture

The church is constructed in stone, with a slate roof. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave, a two-bay chancel with a north vestry and a south chapel, and a west tower. The tower has octagonal angle turrets, and an embattled parapet. It is in three stages, with a west doorway in the bottom stage. The middle stage contains a stepped triple window, and in the top stage are two-light bell openings. Along the sides of the nave are four two-light lancet windows. The chapel has two-light windows on the north and south sides, and a three-light window on the east. The east end of the chancel has a four-light window containing trefoil plate tracery. The two-manual pipe organ was built in 1893, and rebuilt in 1937 by Henry Ainscough of Preston.

1. See also

Listed buildings in Bentham, North Yorkshire List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)

1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Bentham railway station

Bentham is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 19 miles (31 km) east of Lancaster, serves the town of High Bentham and surrounding settlements in North Yorkshire. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Landmark Train

Bentham Town Hall

Bentham Town Hall, also known as High Bentham Town Hall, is a municipal building in Station Road, High Bentham, a town in North Yorkshire, England. The building currently accommodates Bentham Town Council but is also used as a community events venue and a tourist information office.

Community Centre Government

Bentham, North Yorkshire

Bentham is a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, with a population of 3,027 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes the town High Bentham, occasionally known as Higher Bentham or just Bentham, and the older adjacent village Low Bentham. The town lies on the River Wenning, just west of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and on the northern edge of the Forest of Bowland. The original centre of the town lay in Low Bentham, but a market was granted to High Bentham in the 14th century, and it became a centre for weaving from the 18th century, particularly after weavers in the town discovered how to weave hosepipes from flax. It was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Craven; it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council. The name Bentham derives from the Old English beonethām meaning 'bentgrass village'.

Landmark National Park

1.8 km

Low Bentham railway station

Low Bentham railway station served the village of Low Bentham, North Yorkshire, England, from 1850 to 1853 on the "Little" North Western Railway.

Historic Site Landmark