Description

WEST KEAL HALL LANE
TF 36 SE
(east side)
5/89 Church of St.Helen
3.2.67
G.V. II*
Parish church. C13, C14, C15, chancel by G. E. Street 1867,
tower rebuilt 1881-4. Squared greenstone rubble with limestone
ashlar dressings, squared limestone rubble, red brick patching,
slate and leaded roofs. Western tower, clerestoried nave,
aisles, chancel, vestry, south porch. Tall 3 stage tower,
rebuilt 1881-4, with corner stepped buttresses, gabled, moulded
plinth, string courses and embattled parapet with corner
pinnacles. To belfry stage are 3 light louvred openings with
ogee heads to the lights, panel tracery and fleurons to the
reveals and arch. Pointed west doorway with hood mould and above
a 4 light window with panel tracery. To either side a single
reset shield. Above an ogee headed niche and shield. The north
aisle with lead roof has been extensively patched in brick. To
the west a 2 light C19 window. On the north side a 3 light C19
window with flat head, and 3 C19 2 light windows in semi-circular
headed brick openings. The nave is in squared greenstone with
slate roof and has 5 two light clerestory pointed windows, one
with original late C14 ogee headed tracery. The C19 vestry is in
squared limestone rubble with north doorway and 2 light window.
The limestone chancel rebuilt 1867 by Street has at the east end
a stepped triple lancet with trefoil heads. In the south side a
2 light C19 plate traceried window. The south aisle, also with
brick patching has in the east end a C15 3 light window with
segmental head and mouchettes. On the south side are 3 leaded
lights in earlier C15 segmental headed openings. Clerestory of 5
plain lights is similar to north side. Gabled squared limestone
ashlar C15 porch, with angle buttresses, parapet and fleuron
string course, and outsize gargoyles to sides. Tall pointed
outer arch with double hollow chamfers. Inside are 3 cells of
rib vault with angel corbels. C15 inner doorway with moulded and
hollow chamfered arch, with fleurons and heads in the inner
order. C15 wooden door. Interior. 5 bay C14 nave arcades with
double chamfered arches and decorated capitals containing
foliage, animals, monsters, dragons and heads. Western impost of
north aisle has C13 stiff leaf carving. C19 tower arch with
deeply moulded pointed arch and small responds. Stoup on south
wall with small animals head in basin. Wide double chamfered
chancel arch with C13 keeled responds, and C14 capitals carved
with heads and C19 arch. C19 chancel with pointed doorway to
vestry, aumbry with trefoil head and roundel decoration, double
sedilia and piscina. The rear arch to the east window has
shafted reveals and blank sexfoils between the lights. Fittings.
C19 reredos with stone corbelled shelf. C19 stone chancel
screen. C19 octagonal font with traceried side panels.

Listing NGR: TF3674963754

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17548433

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas