Church Of St Helen

Parish church. The origins of the church date to the late 13th century, with significant additions and alterations made in the early 14th century, the late 14th century, the 15th century, and the 16th century, alongside a partial rebuilding of the exterior in the 19th century (1879) and a vestry extension in 1974. The church is constructed of squared greenstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs. It comprises a west tower, nave, aisles, a south porch, a north vestry and a chancel. The three-stage west tower features a moulded plinth, string courses, set-back buttresses, and an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. The belfry stage has two-light openings with panelled traceried tops and plain surrounds. A two-light west window includes mouchettes. Single rectangular lights are set within the side walls of the tower. A three-light window is found in the north aisle, with 19th-century tracery in a 15th-century surround. A late 13th-century window on the north wall now has 19th-century intersecting tracery. The north doorway, dating to the 16th century, has a Tudor-arched head and shields within the molded square surround. The door is now concealed by a vestry added in 1974, constructed from materials taken from the demolished Church of St. Margaret, Old Woodhall. Further east are a three-light intersecting traceried window and a four-light 15th-century window. A 19th-century three-light east window with cusped tracery is present, and in the south wall, a pair of similar two-light windows. The 15th-century south aisle, with crocketed pinnacles, has two three-light windows with cusped heads to the lights and segmental heads, hood moulds, and human head stops. A 19th-century gabled south porch has a double-chamfered outer arch. The inner doorway is 14th-century and continuously moulded with fleurons to the hollow middle order. Further west is a three-light intersecting traceried window, and the angle pinnacle at the west end features a carving of St. George and the Dragon within a cusped niche. Internally, the nave arcades are from the 14th century, with four bays, double-chamfered arches, octagonal piers, floriate capitals, and responds. The tower arch has been blocked by an organ loft. A blocked doorway with a shouldered arch is located in the south aisle. The 19th-century chancel arch has annular responds, Southwell-style leaf capitals, and a triple-chamfered arch. A 19th-century aumbry is situated in the north wall, with a pointed arched head, contemporary reveals with crocketed panels, and marble shafts. Stained glass from 1919 is in the south aisle. Fittings are mostly 19th-century, except for the octagonal 14th-century font, which features trefoils and human heads to the sides and molded fleurons to the rim. In the north aisle is a sandstone tombstone commemorating James Roberts, who died in 1826 and sailed in the Endeavour with Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks.