Church of St Helen, St Helens, Merseyside facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Church of St Helen, St Helens
The Church of St Helen
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OS grid reference	SJ 513 953
Location	Church Street, St Helens, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Charismatic Evangelical
Website	http://sthelensparishchurch.org/
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Helen
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	11 September 1951
Architect(s)	W. D. Caroe
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1920
Completed	1926
Administration
Parish	St Helens
Deanery	Saint Helens
Archdeaconry	Warrington
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

The Church of St Helen is located on Church Street in St Helens, Merseyside, England. A church building has stood on this spot since at least the 1500s. The original chapel was made twice as big in 1816. Sadly, it burned down in 1916. The church you see today was designed by W. D. Caroe and built between 1920 and 1926.

This church is the main parish church for the town. It stands in a very noticeable spot. The Church of St Helen is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important historical building. It is still an active church today, part of the diocese of Liverpool.

History of St Helen's Church

The very first church building in the area that became St Helens was a chapel. It was named after Saint Helen. Records show it existed as early as 1552. The town of St Helens actually got its name from this chapel!

By the early 1800s, the chapel was too small for everyone who wanted to attend. So, in 1816, people decided to make it bigger. The chapel was doubled in size. This cost about £2,094, which was a lot of money back then! When it was reopened, its name was changed to St Mary.

However, this church was destroyed by fire in 1916. A new church was then designed by an architect named W. D. Caröe. It was built on the same spot between 1920 and 1926. When this new church opened, its name was changed back to St Helen. In 1994, a special screen was added inside the church. This screen created a separate area at the front, which now includes offices.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

The Church of St Helen is built from brick. It has special red sandstone decorations and a slate roof. Its design mixes two old styles of church building: Decorated and Perpendicular.

The church has a main long area called a nave. This leads to the chancel, which is where the altar is. Both are under one roof. On the sides, there are north and south aisles. These are like walkways under lower roofs. There is also a tower on the northeast side with a small chapel. A vestry (a room for clergy) is on the south side.

At the front of the church, there is a narthex, which is an entrance hall. In the middle of this hall are four doors with pointed tops. Above these doors are decorative panels. On either side of the doors, you can see flying buttresses. These are supports that help hold up the walls. The large window at the front has five sections. It features a special pattern called Perpendicular tracery. Along the sides of the church, there are more buttresses and windows with three sections. The windows higher up, in the clerestory, also have three sections.

The tower has strong supports at its corners. The bell openings are in pairs, each with two sections. At the very top of the tower is a flat wall called a parapet. A small stair tower on the southeast side rises even higher than the main tower.

Inside the Church

Inside the church, you'll see five bay arcades. These are rows of arches. The arches have a slightly flattened, pointed shape. They are supported by thin, decorated piers. Above these arches, there are more arches that frame the clerestory windows.

There are also more arcades inside. One connects the chancel to the north chapel. Another connects the chancel to the south vestry. Above these, on the north side, is an organ. On the south side, there is a gallery for musicians. In the chancel, there is a sedilia, which is a set of seats for the clergy.

The church's furniture was also designed by Caröe.

• The main reredos (a screen behind the altar) is made of wood. It has 25 statues in small spaces called niches. There is another reredos in the chapel.
• The font (where baptisms happen) has a large, fancy cover. The church also has the font from the previous church, which dates back to 1731.
• The pulpit (where sermons are given) stands on small legs. It is decorated with diamond shapes. Above it is a special canopy called a tester.
• The screens and choir stalls are beautifully carved. The pews (church benches) are simpler.
• The organ case is also very detailed, designed in the Renaissance style.

In the south aisle, there is a large stone plaque from 1670. This plaque was moved from an old schoolhouse. The stained glass in the east window is full of figures. It shows scenes from the Te Deum, a Christian hymn. In the chapel, there is a window from 1927. It was designed by Horace Wilkinson as a memorial for World War I.

The church has a large pipe organ with three manuals (keyboards). It was built in 1928 by Harrison and Harrison. It was updated in 1972 by Rushworth and Dreaper and made even bigger in 1994 by David Wells. The church also has a ring of ten bells. These bells were made in 1830 and 1839 by Thomas Mears II. The largest bell weighs about 2,545 pounds (1,154 kg)!

Why the Church is Important

On September 11, 1951, the Church of St Helen was named a Grade II listed building. Grade II is the most common level of listing. It means a building is "nationally important and of special interest."

Experts in architecture have noted how important the church's location is. They say it is "the focal point of the town and a prominent landmark." They also describe the inside of the church as "spatially masterful," meaning it uses space very cleverly.

St Helen's Church Today

St Helen's is the main parish church for the town of St Helens. It is an active Anglican church. It is part of the Town Centre Team Ministry in St Helens. This team also includes the churches of St Thomas Eccleston, St Mark North Road, and St Andrew Dentons Green.

The church holds regular services on Sundays. During the week, it also organizes activities for children and other community events.

See also

• Listed buildings in St Helens, Merseyside