St. Mary the Virgin, Great Bentley
GREAT BENTLEY (St. Mary the Virgin) has a nave, chancel, and west tower. The nave, and chancel are Norman, and the puddingstone is laid diagonally, but there is excessive mortar. The north doorway has responds with a scroll in each of them. The south doorway has one order of slightly decorated scalloped capital, a gabled lintel with two tiers of rosettes, a voissoirs with zigzag. The end of the chancel is 19th. century, but has inside two early 14th. century niches, with rosettes in the jambs, ogee tops, and leaf sprigs in the spandrels. The west tower is later 14th. century, with diagonal buttresses; a west doorway with fleurons; a three-light west window; and later battlements.
The Font is simple, and octagonal with trefoils and shields, and in front of the altar are nine Tiles of about 1300 that are red, with a pattern that includes a stag and a greyhound. There is also a monument by Sanders of Euston Road, in the traditions of 1800, in memory of P. Thompson who died in 1865.