Description

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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17545470

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

• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2