he Benefield's (Lower and Upper) are two small villages half a mile apart just to the west of Oundle. The church of Mary covers both villages and is situated in Lower Benefield, close to the site of where Benefield castle used to stand. Benefield Castle was a 13th century stone ringwork fortress, which replaced a fortified Norman manor house. The castle was abandoned early in the 14th century and all that remains today is a mound surrounded by a large ditch.
There was a medieval church on the site of the prersent church, and indeed, the chancel at St Mary dates from the 14th century. However, the rest of the building fell into disrepair and was pulled down. The structure that we see today was built in 1847 by James Watts Russell.
