Former Parish Church Of St Helen

LONGHORSLEY LONGHORSLEY NZ 19 SE NZ 154944 6/85 Former parish church of St. Helen II Parish church on medieval site, rebuilt 1783. Chancel 1798, vestry early C19. Ashlar except for squared stone on north; slate roof with stone gable copings. Broad nave with south porch, chancel with vestry on north. Gothick style. Chamfered plinth. West end 20-pane sash window with intersecting glazing bars under pointed head, flanked by blind lancets; sunk quatrefoil over. Embattled bellcote has twin pointed openings on east and west and single blind pointed arches north and south. South wall of nave: plain doorway at west end under porch (front wall of porch removed to the present parish church 1982) and 3 sash windows as on west; 3 similar windows on north of nave, 2 on south of chancel and one in east end. Priest's door between chancel windows has blocked fanlight with intersecting ribs. Vestry has square plinth and 16-pane sash window.

Interior; trefoiled chancel arch outlined by raised balls with panelled soffit and spandrels, the latter with crude foliage design, possibly early C20. Panelled dado. Most fittings removed. The ground plan with the asymmetric layout of the nave (c.f. Middleton St. George, Co. Durham) suggests that the south and west nave walls, and possibly those of the chancel, lie on medieval foundations. Church last used 1966, derelict at time of survey.

Listing NGR: NZ1543694363