Church of St Helen
CHURCH OF ST HELEN, CHURCH ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1369032
- Date first listed:
- 18-Jul-1963
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Helen
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST HELEN, CHURCH ROAD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-03-16
- Reference:
- IOE01/09230/33
- Rights:
- © Mrs Fiona Tankard. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1369032
- Date first listed:
- 18-Jul-1963
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Helen
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST HELEN, CHURCH ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST HELEN, CHURCH ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Oxfordshire
- District:
- South Oxfordshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Benson
- National Grid Reference:
- SU 61506 91637
Details
BENSON CHURCH ROAD SU6191 (North side) 7/39 Church of St. Helen 18/07/63
GV II*
Church. C12 nave and chancel; C13 aisles; nave re-roofed probably late C15; west tower rebuilding started c.1765 in classical style, finished c.1781 by Stephen Townsend in Gothick style; chancel rebuilt 1862 by Charles Buckeridge. Render, probably on limestone rubble to nave; flint with stone dressings to chancel; ashlar limestone to tower; sheet aluminium roof to nave; sheet coppper roofs to aisles; old plain-tile roof to chancel; roof to tower not visible. 3-bay aisled nave, chancel and west tower plan. Ribbed double doors with 2-centred stone arched surround to gabled porch to left of aisle. Two 2-light windows of Reticulated tracery to aisle, with hood moulds. Three 2-light stone mullioned windows with leaded lights to clerestory of nave. Chancel to right has two C19 Romanesque lancets flanking a round-topped plank door. Tower to left of 3 stages. Central plank door to first stage with 2-centre arched top with stone surround in tall round-topped shallow recess. Angled corner buttresses. String course between first and second stage. Round window with plain surround to second stage of tower. String course between second and third stage of tower. 2-light Y-tracery louvred opening to third stage. Battlemented parapet with fluted finials with pyramidal caps to each corner. Left return and rear of tower the same except round-topped window to centre of first stage of left return and round-topped blind panel to first stage of the rear. Rear: 3 two-centred arch topped windows to aisle with central mullions. 2 dormer windows to aisle roof. 2 paired trefoil topped lancets to probable former Lady chapel to left, now the vestry and organ chamber. 3 lancets under common 2-centred arched hood mould to right return of chancel. Interior: C12 font with C17 cover to left of chancel arch. C13 chancel arch of one chamfered order with a roll mould. Nave roof of square panels with carved bosses, some with the Tudor rose. C19 stained glass to the chancel. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, p.450-1; E.M.R. Ditmas: A Short History of Benson Church).
Listing NGR: SU6150691637
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 247748
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Ditmas, E M R, A Short History of Benson Church, ()
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 450-1
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 21:36:13.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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