Church of St Helen

SJ 59 NW 4/70

ST. HELENS CHURCH STREET (south side) Church of St Helen

11.9.51

II Church. 1916-26. W.D Caröe. Brick with stone dressings, slate roof. Single vessel nave and chancel, aisles under lean-to roofs, north east tower and chapel, south vestry.

West end has narthex and flanking turrets; four pointed entrances in segmental headed architraves, quatrefoil panelling above. Flying buttresses support nave, which has five-light window with Perpendicular tracery. Low passages with windows of three ogee-headed lights connect with square embattled turrets with two-light windows. Aisles have canted buttresses and three-light Perpendicular windows, clerestory also has three-light windows. Chancel has slightly canted east end with two-, three-, two-light windows with transoms.

Tower has diagonal buttresses and smaller side buttresses. Segmental arches support gallery below paired two-light straight-headed bell openings. Plain parapet and square south east stair turret. North face has four-light window cut by buttress, base of tower forms west bay of chapel, east bay has four-light east window. To west of tower, a gabled porch and transept.

Interior: five bay arcades with four-centred arches has taller blind arcades enclosing clerestory windows. Aisles have elliptical-arched arcades to passages. West end has arches to narthex passages and open octofoils to turrets.

Octagonal font with Classical font cover. Chancel has good woodwork: choir stalls, reredos and parclose screens designed by Caröe. Organ loft in tower and two bay minstrels' gallery to south.

The church shows imaginative use of brick work; the tower is an important local landmark.

Listing NGR: SJ5128995238