Church Of St Helen

The Church of St Helen is a parish church dating from the 14th century, with significant additions and alterations throughout the 16th century and later. The west tower and the east bay of the north chapel originate from the early 14th century. The west bay of the north chapel was built in the 15th century. The nave, chancel, north and south aisles, south porch and east vestry were constructed around 1535-40.

The west tower features diagonal buttresses, a cornice, a parapet with gargoyles, and a recessed spire with round lucarnes. The beehive-shaped pinnacles on the spire likely date from the 17th or later century. The west window has two lights and reticulated tracery, with similar louvred bell openings above. The north aisle has a coped parapet and windows of three lights with uncusped Perpendicular tracery. The north chapel has square-headed, three-light windows with reticulated tracery, its western window featuring cusped Perpendicular tracery. The south aisle and chapel have an embattled parapet and windows of four lights with a transom. The clerestory has an embattled parapet and round-headed windows with intersecting tracery. The chancel has four-light, two-transom north and south windows, and an east window dating from around 1870 featuring five lights and one transom. The east vestry was extended in 1915 with a north addition. The south porch is of two storeys, with a four-centred entrance arch, a four-light mullioned window above, an embattled parapet, and pinnacles, including a central statue.

Inside, the tower has a triple-chamfered arch. The four-bay nave arcade has early 17th century texts painted on its spandrels, alongside a two-bay arcade to the chancel. The roofs are characterised by moulded beams and bosses. Rood screens and chapel screens display decorative motifs combining Gothic and Renaissance styles, with coving on both sides. There are also parclose screens and Blundell and Sefton pews. Choir stalls and bench ends are richly carved. The pulpit, dated 1635, includes a back board, tester, and arabesque carving, with a later stair rail. A 15th century font has a cover dated 1688, accompanied by three brass chandeliers from 1773. Chancel panelling, dating from around 1730, features an Ionic pilastrade. Further interior features include sedilia, a piscina, and an ogee-headed cupboard. The north chapel contains a double piscina and fragments of early 16th century stained glass in the south windows. Numerous monuments and two memorial brasses dating from the late 13th century are also present.