Church Of St Helen

The Church of St Helen is a church situated in Amotherby with Hildenley. The west tower likely dates to the 16th century, while the nave was probably rebuilt around 1708. Extensive restoration occurred between 1870 and 1872, led by G Fowler Jones, resulting in the rebuilding of the nave windows and chancel, alongside the addition of a south porch, north aisle, and north vestry. The building is constructed from limestone ashlar, with some rebuilding in rock-faced sandstone and sandstone ashlar, and has a slate roof.

The west tower has a single stage, resting on a tall, chamfered plinth. It features a round-arched doorway with a hoodmould and lozenge-shaped stops. Above the doorway is a 2-light window with a chamfered mullion and hoodmould. Four square-arched bell openings are present on each face of the tower, all with similar design. A moulded eaves course runs beneath an embattled parapet with vestigial pinnacles, and a stone waterspout is located on the west side.

The south porch is gabled and contains a reset 12th-century doorway with a roll-moulded round arch supported by attached shafts with scalloped capitals. The hoodmould has re-used beakhead mouldings as stops. A 19th-century door is fitted with wrought-iron hinges. The nave features an offset buttress to the east and single round-arched windows within quoined surrounds of contrasting stone. The north aisle and vestry have similar windows. The chancel windows are paired, featuring chevron mouldings to the round heads. The east end has a chamfered plinth with diagonal offset buttresses flanking a window composed of three stepped lancets. Four carved stones are set beneath this window, dated 1708, likely commemorating the masons involved in the 1708 restoration. Coped gables are present on both the chancel and north aisle, with gable crosses on both.

Inside, traces of a blocked round tower arch, believed to be from the 12th or earlier century, are visible in the east wall of the tower. A 19th-century arcade features chevron-moulded round arches on slim columns with scalloped capitals, rising from tall plinths. A round-arched niche is incorporated into the north wall of the sanctuary, adorned with a head-stopped hoodmould and slim nook shafts. A 14th-century tomb slab, carved with a foliated cross and inscribed "ICI GIT WILLEM DE BORDESDON PRIZ PUR LA ALME," lies within. Sir William de Bordesdon, who died around 1340, was the brother or nephew of Sir John de Bordesdon. In the south wall of the sanctuary, a 19th-century niche contains an effigy of Sir John de Bordesdon, shown with his arms and wearing a surcoat; he died around 1329. The porch incorporates several stone fragments, including two Anglo-Danish cross fragments, part of a foliated grave slab, and part of a 14th-century grave slab carved with a quatrefoil enclosing a female figure.