Church of St Helena

Details

SX 07 SE
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6.6.69

HELLAND
Church of St Helena

GII*
Parish church.C14,late C15 addition;north transept and re-roofing circa 1820 for Rev.F.Hext.Major restoration and rebuilding of late C19,said to be by J.P.St Aubyn,Incorporated Society for Buildings and Churches dated 1878.Slatestone rubble with granite dressings.Slate roof with crested ridge tiles;north transept with scantle slate roof with lead roll to ridge.Plan:Nave and chancel in one;north transept probably originally of late C14-early C15,and substantially rebuilt circa 1820 as a school room.South aisle added circa late C15 with south porch added to the south side of the nave.West tower probably originally of circa C14,and substantially rebuilt in C19.Circa1820,the nave and chancel and south aisle appear to have been re-roofed;the east ends of the chancel and aisle and the north gable end of the transept all have raised coped verges in granite with scrolled kneelers.Exterior:The nave is mostly concealed by the aisle and transept;on the south side a two-light C15 window with cusped lights,square head and hood mould;on the north side one C15 window of two cusped lights in greenstone;buttress to west.Chancel has late C19 Perpendicular windows,three-light to east,and two similar three-light windows to north;stone cross finial.North transept has C19 west door,with hollow-chamfered segmental arch;two tall three-light windows to east with cusped lights.Long and short granite quoins,and a circular stone stack at the gable end.South aisle of four bays,all windows are three-light C19 Perpendicular;to south a priest's door with four-centred hollow-chamfered arch,C19 door with strap hinges.Over the door a slate sundial,with nowy head,carved primitive face of the sun with rays,dated 1778.South porch is gabled,of C19,with four-centred arched doorway and double doors.Interior has pitched slate floor,common rafter roof and inner four-centred arched doorway,C19 door with strap hinges.West tower in two stages,with embattled parapet with pinnacles.West doorway replaced by C19 two-light window.At second stage,all single C19 bell-openings with louvres.Interior:Slate floor in tower;C19 polychromatic tiled floor in chancel.Plastered walls.C19 wagon roof continuous in the nave and chancel;same roof in the south aisle,retaining at the east end the wall-plates,purlins and bosses,all carved,of the late C15 roof.Tall rounded tower arch with imposts. Nave has a four-centred arch with imposts, formerly leading to the north transept,blocked and with a C19 pointed arched door inserted.Four bay south arcade,with Pevsner A-type piers with the capitals carved with fleurons,four-centred moulded arches.South aisle has piscina with ogee head.North transept is ceiled and may retain some early roof structure;gable end fireplace blocked.Fittings:Circular stone bowl font on convex stem,possibly C13,in nave.Late C19 wooden benches and pulpit.Monument in south aisle;ledger stone with figure of a man and inscription around the border,to Humphrey Calwodley,early C16;marble monument on slate ground in chancel,to Francis Hext,1842.Fragments of medieval glass in the tracery of the east window in the south aisle,showing the arms of Gifford of Helland.

Listing NGR: SX0751471014

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

67537

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970)
Maclean, J, History of Helland, (1873)

End of official list entry

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