Church Of St Helen

Church of St Helen, Clifford Chambers

This is a church of considerable historical depth, though substantially restored in the 19th century. The building comprises a mid-12th-century nave, a 12th-century chancel (rebuilt and lengthened during restoration), and a late 14th-century west tower with 15th-century features. Remains of a 13th-century north transeptal chapel survive. The church was extensively restored around 1886 by J Cotton of Birmingham, when the chancel was rebuilt, a vestry and south porch were added, and the roofs were replaced.

The exterior is constructed in rubble with ashlar dressings, with the chancel of snecked stone; roofs are tiled, with the chancel having cresting.

The chancel has a coped gable with a cross and offset diagonal buttresses, with a plinth to the east end. A 4-light east window features Perpendicular tracery. The south side contains a low 2-light window with hood and two 19th-century straight-headed windows (2-light and single-light) with labelmoulds and cusped lights flanking a gabled buttress with cusped panel, foliate stops, crockets and fleuron. Gargoyles with downspouts are positioned to north and south. The vestry has two gables and lateral buttresses, with a valley gargoyle between two 3-light windows of Perpendicular tracery. It includes an east entrance and a reset lancet to the west with low transom.

The nave has a plastered plinth and offset buttresses with coped gables to the west end. The north side features a 20th-century block covering a blocked 12th-century round-headed entrance, a small reset light with splayed reveals to the east end, a 4-light straight-headed window with ogee-headed lights and label, and a similar single light to the west end. The south side is comparable, with a timber-framed gabled porch on a high stone plinth. The porch contains a 12th-century round-headed inner entrance with shafts with scallop capitals and roll moulding and roundels to the worn arch. An off-centre scratch dial appears on the tympanum. The door has strap hinges, studs and battens forming four panels with shouldered heads, battens, rails and a large lock to the rear. A 2-light window to the west end has similar details to those on the north but with head stops. A 4-light straight-headed window to the east end has cusped lights and labelmould, flanked by 19th-century buttresses similar to that on the chancel south side, though the eastern buttress is raised above the eaves. A gargoyle with downspout is present.

The west tower comprises two stages with offset diagonal buttresses flanking a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery. A 18th-century wall tablet appears on the south, alongside a three-face clock and string course above. The upper stage has 2-light louvred bell openings with hoods over blind tracery, a cornice with gargoyles, and a crenellated parapet with continuous moulding and restored pinnacles. A pyramidal roof supports a weathercock.

Interior details are significant. The roof and chancel arch date to the 1880s restoration. The chancel has a cornice with Apostles to corbels supporting the roof with moulded members. A segmental-pointed arch to the organ loft has angle corbels to the hood. The vestry door has a 3-centred head, continuous moulding and ogee hood, with a sedile recess below the south-east window. The nave has a waggon roof, part of an arch to a removed north-east chapel, and a reset window with one shaft beneath and part of jamb to the left. A 4-centred tower arch and exposed masonry appear to the west wall.

Fittings include a 12th-century pillar piscina with plain flared bowl in the chancel, a mid to late 17th-century altar rail on turned balusters, and simple 1930s stalls with linenfold panels. The nave contains an early 17th-century pulpit to the north of the chancel arch with enriched round-headed panels and acanthus frieze. A heptagonal font, possibly 12th-century with 15th-century re-cutting on a 19th-century base, has a flat lid with brass finial. Three charity boards dated 1924 and an earlier board are also present.

Memorials include a large alabaster and marble wall memorial in the chancel to Sir Henry Rainsford (died 1622) and his wife Anne, featuring a round-arched recess with flanking Composite columns, entablature, crest and finials, two kneeling figures facing each other over a prayer desk, and an apron with inscription and further panels. Floor slabs for Hercules Rainford (died 1583) and his wife Elizabeth, and a similar memorial to Elizabeth Rainsford (died 1601), are also present, the Hercules Rainford memorial now set on the north wall with brass inscription panel and figures.

Stained glass includes fragments of medieval glass to the vestry window and good circa 1900 glass to the chancel east window and a small light to the nave north side.

Despite extensive restoration and rebuilding, the church retains features of considerable architectural and historical interest.