Illustrated Dictionary of British Churches - Box pew Definition
History and Architecture
- Aisle
- Altar
- Ambulatory
- Angel Roof
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- Arch
- Archivolt
- Base
- Battlement
- Bay
- Belfry
- Bell Tower
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- Board Bell Turret
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- Boss
- Box pew
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- Misericord
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- Nave
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- Pew
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- Victorian Gothic
- Wall Monument
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- Wheel Window
Box pew
A box pew is a bench contained within wooden walls, creating an enclosed space to sit during services. In the medieval period pews were open, but during the Elizabethan period and later - and in particular during the Georgian period - pews were frequently enclosed within panelled walls, accessed via a hinged door. In many churches only the lord of the manor and his family would sit within a box pew, while the rest of the congregation sat on open benches.
