Church Of St Helen

The Church of St Helen is a parish church, largely rebuilt in 1867 by J. L. Pearson, incorporating some earlier medieval fabric. The church comprises a west tower, a nave with north and south aisles, a chancel with a south chapel and a north vestry. It is constructed of dressed sandstone with a composition tile roof over the nave and some stone slate.

The four-stage west tower is simple and unbuttressed, featuring prominent dripcourses. The west window is two-centred arched with three cusped lights and a multifoiled head, with a small loop opening above. Belfry windows, of a similar design, flank the top stage, and the tower is topped by a plain parapet and a flagmast. The south aisle is buttressed, with four bays externally; a gabled porch with two-centred arched doorways occupies the first bay. The remaining bays feature large, two-centred arched windows with three cusped lights, coupled quatrefoils in the heads and hoodmoulds. The three-bay chapel, under a parallel roof, features a central doorway with a moulded surround and hoodmould, and recessed square-headed windows, each with two round-headed lights and hollow spandrels, with chamfered reveals and hoodmoulds. The east window of the chapel is two-centred arched with three lights and reticulated tracery, a double-chamfered surround and a hoodmould, all in limestone. The chancel’s east wall is buttressed, with a large Decorated five-light window of flowing tracery, a moulded surround and a hoodmould, potentially largely medieval and restored. The north aisle has three two-centred arched windows with two trefoil-headed lights, and a rose window at the east end.

Inside, the three-bay nave arcades have octagonal columns with moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. The nave has a wagon roof. The two-centred chancel arch is offset to the north side. Above the arch is a panel bearing the Arms of George III. The chancel features a scissor-truss roof, and the two-bay chapel arcade displays double-chamfered arches. The chapel has three worn figured corbels on the north side and a tapered octagonal tub font. Various wall monuments are present, including a carved marble cartouche commemorating Robert Wrightson (died 1720) on the south wall of the chancel; a tablet commemorating Barbara Wrightson (died 1783) on the north wall; and a 17th century aediculed monument to Catherine, wife of Thomas Gargrave (died 1631) in the north aisle, with detached Corinthian columns, shields of arms on corbels and an elaborate crown. A wall obelisk tablet to Joseph Stocks of Kinsley (died 1791) dated 1808 is also present in the north aisle.