Church Of St Helen

TF 26 SE MAREHAM LE FEN CHURCH LANE (east side)

3/26 Church of 14.9.66 St. Helen

G.V. II*

Parish church. Late C13, early C14, late C14, C15, C16, 1879 partial rebuilding of exterior, 1974 vestry extension. Squared greenstone rubble, limestone ashlar dressings, slate roofs. West tower, nave, aisles, south porch, north vestry, chancel. 3 stage tower with moulded plinth, string courses, set back buttresses, embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. In the belfry stage are 2 light openings with panelled traceried tops and plain surrounds. 2 light west window with mouchettes. In the side walls of the tower to the middle stage are single rectangular lights. West north aisles window is of 3 lights. C19 tracery in C15 surround. In the north wall is a late C13 window now with C19 intersecting tracery. The north doorway is C16, with Tudor arched head and shields to the spandrels of the moulded square surround. The door is now covered by a vestry added in 1974 built from materials taken from the demolished Church of St. Margaret, Old Woodhall. Beyond is a further 3 light intersecting traceried window and a 4 light C15 window. C19 3 light east window with cusped tracery, and in the south wall a pair of similar 2 light windows. C15 south aisle, with crocketed pinnacles has 2 three light windows with cusped heads to the lights and segmental heads, with hood moulds and human head stops. C19 gabled south porch with double chamfered outer arch. The inner doorway is C14, continuously moulded with fleurons to the hollow middle order. Further west a 3 light intersecting traceried window, and the angle pinnacle at the west end has a carving of St. George and the Dragon in a cusped niche. Interior. Nave arcades are of 4 bays, C14, with double chamfered arches, octagonal piers, floriate capitals and responds. Tower arch blocked by organ loft. In the south aisle a blocked doorway with shouldered arch. C19 chancel arch with annular responds, Southwell style leaf capitals and triple chamfered arch. C19 aumbry in north wall, with pointed arched head, contemporary reveals with crocketed panels and marble shafts. Stained glass in south aisle of 1919. Fittings are all C19 apart from the octagonal C14 font with trefoils and human heads to the sides, moulded fleurons to rim. In the north aisle a sandstone tombstone with cambered head to James Roberts, d.1826, who sailed in the Endeavour with Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks.

Listing NGR: TF2783361259