Church Of St Helen

Church of St Helen, Trowell

A parish church dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, substantially restored in 1836 and again by architect Hodgson Fowler in 1890. The building is constructed of coursed and squared rubble with ashlar and dressed stone, with gabled and lean-to roofs of plain tile and felt. It features moulded plinths and eaves throughout.

The church comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, chancel and south porch.

The west tower has two stages and dates to the 13th and 15th centuries. It is decorated with a moulded string course, moulded eaves, a crenellated parapet and four corner buttresses. The first stage contains a door to the south and a 15th-century transomed triple lancet window to the west, with panel tracery and hood mould. The second stage has rectangular openings on each side, above which sit cusped transomed double lancets with hood mould and lintel bands. The north side displays a clock removed from Nottingham Exchange. The clerestory was rebuilt with a moulded parapet and rainwater heads dated 1836. On each side are three double lancets in 16th-century style with coved reveals.

The nave and chancel each have coped east gables with crosses. All windows have been restored.

The north aisle has three bays and was rebuilt in the late 19th century, with three buttresses. The west end contains a 15th-century double lancet window with panel tracery and square-headed reveal. The north side has two similar lancets to the east and a chamfered 13th-century blocked door with hood mould to the west. The east end features a 16th-century triple lancet with Tudor arched reveal and hood mould.

The south aisle has three bays and dates to the 15th century. It has three buttresses and is restored. The east end contains a triple lancet similar to the north aisle. The south side has two 19th-century double lancets with panel tracery and splayed reveals to the east, and a similar window to the west.

The chancel dates to the 13th century and has two bays with a buttress to the north. To the west is a 13th-century blocked door with imposts, flanked by single 13th-century lancets at different levels, all with hood moulds. The east end has two flanking buttresses and a 19th-century triple lancet in 15th-century style with panel tracery and hood mould. The south side has an off-centre buttress and a 15th-century triple lancet with cusped ogee heads and square-headed reveal to the west, and a 15th-century double lancet with panel tracery and moulded reveal to the east.

The south porch is 13th-century with a plain south doorway with imposts. The interior has a painted barrel vault with chamfered ribs and a 19th-century inner doorway of Tudor arched design with hood mould.

The tower arch is 13th-century, chamfered and rebated with conical imposts. It contains a 20th-century organ loft and gallery. The nave arcades are early 14th-century with three bays. They have unusual broached octagonal bases and moulded capitals. The arches are double chamfered and rebated with conical imposts. The nave roof is low pitched 19th-century purlins. The north and south aisles have lean-to roofs with carved bosses to the east. The north aisle features a stained glass War Memorial window by P. & Q dating to around 1950. The south aisle has a memorial window from 1916.

The chancel arch matches the tower arch and contains a 20th-century traceried screen with a cross. The east end has an early 20th-century gradine and traceried panelled reredos. There is a stained glass window by Kempe from 1892. The south side has a superimposed rebated 13th-century aumbry and piscina to the east, with cusped and moulded sedilia of the 13th century to its right. The barrel vaulted roof is 19th-century matchboarded with arch braces on corbels.

Fittings include a 15th-century octagonal font with quatrefoil and crenellated bands, an 18th-century side table, a 19th-century octagonal panelled pulpit and lectern with flying buttresses, early 20th-century stalls and desks, and late 19th-century benches with shaped ends.

Memorials include a slate and alabaster wall tablet with apron and crest bearing Arms and Latin inscription from 1668, four 18th-century brasses to the Evans family, two 19th-century brasses, a marble tablet, a brass from 1837 referring to benefactions, a War Memorial brass from 1918, and a wooden War Memorial plaque from 1945.