Church Of St Helen

SE40NE DEARNE HIGH STREET (north side), Thurnscoe

4/34 Church of St. Helen

23.8.63 II

Church. Tower 1729, otherwise late C19, nave dated 1887, some Gothic fragments. Limestone ashlar tower, C19 work in rock-faced sandstone, red tile roofs, stone slates to chancel. West tower, 4-bay nave with south porch, lower 2-bay chancel with separately- roofed south chapel. Tower: plinth, rusticated quoins, band to each stage. Round-headed west window with sill blocks, architrave, moulded imposts and keystone. Within the opening, set back, a Decorated 3-light window. Blind keyed oculus to 2nd stage, similar openings to each return louvred. Bell openings louvred and in surrounds as west window. Cornice breaking forward at corners, parapet with moulded coping. Nave: chamfered plinth. Porch to bay 1. Central offset buttress with, to left, 1 pair of lancets with shared hoodmould and, to right, 2 similar paired lights. Chamfered band to eaves, moulded kneelers and ashlar gable copings. South chapel: set forward. Central and angle buttresses, windows as nave but with cusped lights and animals carved on hoodmould stops. Coved eaves course, gables as nave. East window: 3 cusped lancets, central light taller, linked hoodmoulds. Interior: narrow single-chamfered tower arch. Nave windows have inner surrounds with detached octagonal colonnettes between cusped-headed openings with quatrefoil above. Chancel: sunken chantry chapel, now vestry, has 2-bay arcade with cylindrical column, carved capital, responds and hoodmould to easternmost arch with carved head stops. Fragments of medieval work set in chapel walls. Attractive window to St. Cecilia dated 1885 at north-east end of chancel. Unusual C18 font: wooden bowl with gadrooned base and acanthus-carved cover set on short cylindrical stone column. Rood screen: in Gothic style, probably C19 but may include earlier work particularly the well-carved figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. John.

Listing NGR: SE4500805616