Church Of St Helen

TF 08 NW SAXBY MAIN STREET (South side) 6/37 Church of St.Helen 30.11.66 I

Former mortuary chapel now parish church. 1775. Red brick with ashlar dressings, render, timber, lead roofs. In form of small classical temple; rectangular on plan, with pedimented distyle in antis portico, surmounted by a western classical bellcote; apsidal east end. The western portico is reached up 3 steps and has Tuscan pit.jars supporting a plain frieze and pediment. The side walls of the portico are lit by glazed occuli with raised keystones. The 6 panelled west door, into the nave, has a moulded stone architrave with restrained moulded overdoor, and is flanked by single hemispherically headed niches with stone architraves and raised keyblocks. The floor is of diamond stone flags. The rendered bellcote has angle Ionic timber pilasters which rise to a dentillated eaves cornice surmounted by a shaped lead roof with weather vane at apex. It has a single glazing bar light with semi-circular head and rusticated wooden surround to each face. Both nave side walls have ashlar plinth, cornice, angle. pilasters and 2 windows with semi-circular heads, leaded lights, ashlar architraves, imposts and keyblocks. The sills are supported on pairs of moulded brackets. The apsidal east end has a blocked opening matching those to the sides. Interior: the west door has a wooden architrave with overdoor cornice supported on scrolled brackets. The side walls have wooden panelling to dado height. The walls above are divided into panels by plain Ionic plaster pilasters which support a plain frieze and dentillated cornice. The panels are outlined with moulding. The apse has moulded imposts, plaster architraves and a raised voluted keystone. The archivolt has blank panels; the intrados of the hemispherically headed apse is decorated with plaster diapers containing bas relief flowers with scrolly petals. The C18 panelled pews and vestry screen, readers desk and pulpit have matching moulding and Ionic pilasters. The facetted pulpit has panels decorated with intarsia stars. Altar rails and table incorporate delicate turned spindles. There are 2 light fittings of wrought iron and a circular candelabra. At the west end are 2 hatchments to the Earls of Scarborough. The stained glass in the nave is dated 1869. Monuments consist of 4 wall plaques to the Earls of Scarborough, for whom the chapel was built, in white marble and in Greek taste, 1832-1856.

Listing NGR: TF0056486298