Description

NESTON

SJ2977 HIGH STREET, Neston Town
794-1/6/66 (West side)
27/12/62 Church of St Mary and St Helen

GV II*

Parish church. C14 tower incorporating masonry from church of
1170, probably restored 1697; chancel, nave, aisles and upper
stages of tower heavily restored and substantially rebuilt in
1875. C19 restoration by J Francis Doyle.
MATERIALS: coursed squared red sandstone with ashlar
dressings; slate roofs with red tile ridge cresting; stone
copings, gable crosses and finials.
PLAN: 2-bay chancel and north vestry; 6-bay aisled nave and
south porch; west tower.
EXTERIOR: 3 stepped lancets with stained glass to chancel east
window flanked by diagonal buttresses. Aisle gable ends have
trefoil headed lancets in pairs with trefoils above under
hoodmoulds with face stops.
A high plinth with cavetto cornice and ogee sill-string are
continuous features throughout the east gable-ends and aisles
elevations. Aisle windows are mainly lancets.
On the south side, oak doors in the porch and to east in aisle
wall are pointed and have hoodmoulds.
On north side, vestry door is set within a recessed porch.
4-stage tower has low weathered plinth and diagonal
buttresses. Small pointed door to west with trefoil window
above; first stage has sunken narrow windows with flat heads.
The upper levels have louvred 2-light traceried openings.
Datestone set in the south face gives 1697 restoration date.
Crenellated parapet with four main face gargoyles.
INTERIOR: chancel has twisted crested wrought iron chancel
rail. Painted stone reredos with statues, painted features,
gablets and crocketed pinnacles; brass rail and mosaic floor
to Sanctuary; 3-seat sedilia and panelled oak choir stalls.
6-bay nave arcades of alternately octagonal and round columns
with moulded capitals. Round tower arch fitted with ornate
memorial gates circa 1904: high on east wall, blind arcade of
six shafts commemorates the earlier origins of the church.
Waggon roof to chancel; diagonally boarded hammerbeam roof to
nave.
FITTINGS: pitch pine benches and nave wainscotting with
quatrefoil frieze. C16 octagonal roll moulded stone font with
quatrefoils to bowl and cusped lancet panels to stem. Panelled
oak pulpit on stone base.
MEMORIALS: 1914-1919 memorial window flanked by names on slate

tablets. Stones: fragments of Saxon crosses mounted at west
end of church.
STAINED GLASS: by Morris and Co, and Kempe.

Listing NGR: SJ2915077442

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston at Wikipedia
• St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston official website
• Wikidata Q7594544

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

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)