About St Benet's

At first glance, St. Benet’s church appears to be an ancient place of worship. It was built, in fact, in (1842-3) in the decorated style of English architecture, reflecting the revival of Catholicism in England and Wales at that time. It took just under a year to complete. The parish has been served, from its foundation, by the Benedictines. There has been a long history of Catholicism in the area, through thick and thin.

One of St Benet’s secrets is the tiny Catholic school next to the church: a two-room building which now acts as a Parish Room, hosting a range of community events. It was the first Catholic school in England to receive a government grant towards a certified teacher and basic capitation- it was to be used as a model to assess whether such use of funding would be practical.

The decoration of the church catches the eye. It is a faithful reproduction of earlier décor, dating from the early twentieth century. The interior fell into the clutches of the iconoclasts in the 1960s, and was painted plain white.

Christian worship has been a feature of the area since the Eighth Century and we trust that it will continue to flourish. The parish prides itself on a variety of social events, which include the annual Game Lunch, reflecting the particular nature of the Cotswolds; a curry evening- which doesn’t- and a range of meditations and reflections to enhance the Catholic faith.

Benet is the anglicised version of Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Order and patron saint of Europe. The Benedictines in England, based at Douai Abbey, in Berkshire have supplied the parish with a priest since 1895. Downside Abbey and Ampleforth Abbey supplied priests before 1895. We hope that the monks will serve our church for many years to come.