All
Saints
Benhilton Parish was
created in 1863 and the foundation stone of the church was laid in
the same year. The church was designed by J. S Teulon and was
almost certainly intended to be a key amenity for Benhilton estate,
an area of upper class housing which was being developed to the
east. The nave and south aisle were finished first, The tower and
chancel were added in 1867 and the north aisle was not fully roofed
until 1906. Many memorial windows were given in the 19th and early
20th century but almost all the stained glass was lost when the
church was severely damaged by bombs in the Second World War. The
survivor was a small window in the north porch. Benhilton is noted
for its bells from the beginning. The first was the tenor bell
which was rung on the day the church was consecrated. Another bell
was added the same year, and a third the year after. There were six
by 1882 and all eight were inaugurated in 1893. The chancel screen
was erected in 1911 as a memorial to the memory of Lionel Detmar,
an architect and member of the congregation who had designed the
screens between the chancel and the organ chamber and Lady Chapel.
He had been asked to design the chancel screen but he fell from a
horse and died. The screen was then erected in his memory. In 1944
the church was severely damaged by bombing and the services had to
stop. The services were transferred to the church hall and then,
when that was bombed, to St Nicholas. Worship resumed at Whitsun
1945 but the church was very dark as the windows had lost their
glass and were boarded up. The nave roof was covered by tarpaulins
and the aisles by zinc roofing. The building was eventually
restored.
The cache is hidden
very close to the churchyard but on the footpath side of the
boundary fence.
The cache has a log
book but no pencil, Please bring one with you. Please take care to
make sure the cache is well hidden (horizontally) when you leave so
muggles cannot obviously see it!
Due to the proximity
of the very busy road junction, please keep any dogs and children
on leads. Another Sutton Church Micro that will require
stealth, watch out for muggles in cars as well as those on
foot. Please park on All Saints Road or any of it's side
roads.
If any body would
like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you
could let SADEXPLORATION know first so he can keep track of the
Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.