Parish Church Of St Helen And St Mary

TL 3256-3356 BOURN CHURCH STREET (South-East Side)

15/22 Parish Church of 31. 8.62 St Helen and St Mary

GV . I

Parish Church. C12 nave arcades, north and south aisles, and south wall of chancel. Tower and flanking aisles C13. Transepts and south porch C14, chancel rebuilt late C14 and clerestory added. Restorations 1875-6 and 1912. Walls of field stones and ashlar with some reused material, dressings of limestone and clunch. Roofs of tiles and lead. South Elevation. Tower of three stages with steeply pitched pent roof to aisle. Angle buttresses of four stages with south-west buttress enclosing stair turret approached by an external stair, and rising above embattled parapet. Belfry with very fine three bay wall arcade divided by transomes, central bay four-light window with pair of roll-moulded lancet-lights and quatrefoil in two-centred arch (West doorway with two-centred arch and jamb of six keeled or filleted shafts with moulded caps and bases). Leaded wooden spire reduced in height possibly in C17. Lead panels inscribed 'John Ferrar, 1620'. Five quatrefoil clerestory windows. Two three-light and one two-light C14 and C15 traceried nave windows. South door, C12, with round arch of two orders with label, moulded impost and shafted jambs. Porch with low-pitched gable roof and archway of two continuous moulded orders. C14 chapel window rebuilt in C16 of three-lights. Chancel with irregular angle buttresses, three restored two-light C14 windows with higher cill to right hand window. South doorway with double ogee-moulded jambs and segmental head. Interior. Nave arcade of five bays of two-centred arches with two chamfered orders, round and octagonal piers with moulded and scalloped caps and chamfered bases. Tower arch two-centred of three chamfered orders with keeled and filleted shafted jambs. Chancel arch widened in 1875. Piscena defaced, of three cinquefoil arches in square head. Font, octagonal bowl with restored base C13 or C14. Hammer beam roof of chancel reconstructed and restored of five bays C14 or C15. Ceiling to ground stage of tower divided into nine square bays with flat joists C16. Nave roof C19, aisle and chapel roofs reconstructed. Screen of five ogee-headed bays C15. Pews, restored early C16, and manorial pew rebuilt C17 panels with acorn finials. Chancel seats also rebuilt with poppy head desk ends, one inscribed 'P OF BA 1537'. For monuments and wall slabs see RCHM report.

R.C.H.M. West Cambs. p18, mon.1 (Plates 4, 49, 50, 51, 81). Pevsner Buildings of England, p305 V.C.H. Vol. V, p13-15

Listing NGR: TL3244256371