Parish Church Of St Andrew

Parish church of St Andrew at Helions Bumpstead, dating from the 13th century and later. The building is constructed of plastered flint rubble with dressings of limestone and clunch. The west tower, south porch, and vestry are of red brick roofed with handmade red clay tiles.

The chancel dates to the mid-13th century. Its east window is from the 15th century, comprising three cinquefoiled lights with restored mullions and tracery under a two-centred head with drip-mould; the external reveals are hollow-moulded. On the north wall at the west end is a mid-13th century lancet window, rebated and chamfered externally, with a chamfered rear-arch. The south wall contains three similar lancet windows; the sill of the easternmost is carried down to form a seat, and the westernmost is a low-side window, its lower part blocked. Between the two westernmost windows is a doorway of uncertain date with chamfered jambs and two-centred head, fitted with a plain ledged door and draw-bar holes. A piscina with chamfered jambs, two-centred head, and hexagonal drain, probably 13th century, survives in the wall. The two-centred chancel arch is mid-13th century (restored) and consists of two moulded orders with keeled attached shafts, moulded capitals and bases.

The nave is possibly older than the 13th century, though the date is uncertain. Its north wall has two windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights and tracery (restored), with two-centred head and rear-arch. Further west is a late 15th-century north doorway, now blocked externally, featuring hollow-chamfered jambs and a two-centred rear-arch.

The south arcade is of four bays, dating to the mid-14th century but altered in the early 16th century when the south aisle was rebuilt. The two-centred arches are of two chamfered orders; the piers are octagonal with moulded capitals and bases. The east respond is obscured by plaster below the moulded capital, and the west respond has a semi-octagonal attached shaft with moulded capital and no base.

The clerestorey was added in the early 16th century and has four windows on both sides, each of two uncusped lights with Y-tracery under a four-centred head; the middle two on each side are blocked.

The south aisle retains some mid-14th-century structure at its west end but was largely rebuilt in the early 16th century and substantially reconstructed in brick in the early 19th century. The early 16th-century south doorway has moulded jambs and a two-centred arch under a square-head, with segmental-pointed rear-arch. To its west is a blocked window forming an internal recess. The west wall contains a 20th-century window with segmental-pointed rear-arch.

The nave roof is plastered and semi-elliptical; the aisle roof dates to the 19th century.

The west tower was built in 1812. However, the tower-arch dates to circa 1400 and is two-centred, comprising four chamfered orders. The responds have semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The west half of the arch bears 17th-century graffiti and is cut off by the 19th-century wall. A consecration cross, incised as a cross formy and reworked, appears on the northeast buttress of the nave.

The octagonal font dates to the 15th century, with bowl and stem featuring cusped panels. Fifteenth-century woodwork is reused in the 19th-century pulpit, south door, and seating.

Eight bells and a clock-bell survive. The third bell was cast by Miles Graye in 1647, the fifth by Miles Graye (undated), and the sixth by Miles Graye in 1641.

Monuments on the north wall of the chancel include: (1) a tablet to Devereux Tallakarne (died 1627) and his wife Mary (Steward), with terminal figures, entablature, obelisks, three shields and defaced inscriptions; (2) a marble tablet to William Gardner (died 1667) and his wife Margaret (died 1683), featuring Ionic pilasters, a cleft pediment and shield of arms. A floor-slab in the chancel commemorates William Sharpe (died 1692).

Eighteenth-century painted texts are partly revealed above the tower arch and high on the nave walls.