Church of St Mary Magdalene

CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH STREET

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1371508
Date first listed:
09-Feb-1969
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH STREET
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Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
2002-01-02
Reference:
IOE01/05265/05
Rights:
© Mr Alistair F Nisbet. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1371508
Date first listed:
09-Feb-1969
Date of most recent amendment:
22-Jun-1987
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH STREET

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
West Northamptonshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Helmdon
National Grid Reference:
SP 59011 43186

Details

HELMDON CHURCH STREET SP54SE, SP5843 (East side) 5/7 14/7 Church of St. Mary Magdalene 04/02/69 (Formerly listed as Church of St. Mary Magdelen)

GV II*

Church. C14. West tower rebuilt 1823, restored 1841, and 1876 by E.F. Law. Coursed limestone rubble, lead roofs except for chancel - slate, and porches - plain tile. Chancel, north chancel vestry and organ chamber, nave, north and south aisles and porches, west tower. 3-bay chancel has 4-light east window with intersecting tracery, 2-light north window with ogee-arched head and reticulated tracery and remains of piscina with cusped head incorporated in wall beside east door to C19 vestry, a 3-light south-east window similar to that to north, and one-light south-west low side window with ogee head and trefoil. Nave has clerestory with 4 2-light windows to north and 3 to south with 4-centred heads. North aisle has C19 east extension overlapping chancel and 2-light Decorated windows throughout. North door has simple pointed arch. North porch has hollow-chamfered doorway with 4-centred head, cut spandrels, small blocked one-light window above and rectangular windows north and south with chamfered surrounds and ironstone infill with cross ventilation slits. South aisle has 2-light Decorated south and east windows with cusped Y-tracery and 2-light arch mullion window to west. South porch similar to north with blank arch above door inscribed JHP/JH/CHWDS/AD/1841. 3-stage west tower has west door with 4-centred head and 2-light arch-mullion window above. Datestone to middle stage west side inscibed REBUILT/1823. 2-light bell openings with cusped Y-tracery. Diagonal buttresses, battlemented parapets and corner pinnacles. Church has chamfered plinth, string course, stepped to chancel, plain stone-coped parapets to aisles and clerestory, and stone-coped gables to chancel and porches. Diagonal buttresses to chancel. All windows and doors except for small side windows of porches have hood moulds, some with carved label stops. Interior: chancel has stepped string course, C19 stone reredos with painted angels and fine 3-bay sedilia and piscina with ogee cusped heads, crocketted hood moulds and pinnacles; chamfered priest's door to north with ogee head and hood mould. Double-chamfered chancel arch, inner arch on polygonal responds. Nave has 3-bay arcades with octagonal piers, capitals, and double-chamfered archs. C19 roofs throughout except for moulded ties and purlins of nave roof, possible C15. Medieval stained glass fragments in heads of aisle windows ad canopy heads in south-east chancel windows, including figure of mason in north-east aisle window. Tomb recess with Purbeck marble tomb slab with foliated cross. C17 communion table in south aisle. Complete set of C19 pitch pine furnishings, (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.253; Kelly's Directory for Northants, 1928)

Listing NGR: SP5901143186

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
234517
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1973), 253
Kellys Directory in Northamptonshire, (1928)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Mary Magdalene

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 12-Jun-2026 at 23:22:13.

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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