St Helen's Church, Tarporley Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Helen's Church, Tarporley
St Helen's Church, Tarporley, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 554 625
Location	Tarporley, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Tarporley, St Helen
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Helen
Dedicated	3 January 1967
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Architect(s)	J. S. Crowther, Sir Percy Worthington
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular, Gothic Revival
Completed	1932
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone ashlar, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Tarporley
Deanery	Malpas
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Helen's Church is a historic church located in the village of Tarporley, which is in Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it is part of the Church of England. The church is very important and is listed as a Grade II* building. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest.

History of the Church
Church Design and Features
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Outside the Church Grounds
Images for kids
See also

History of the Church

The first time a church was mentioned on this spot was in 1287. The oldest parts of the church you see today are two chapels. These chapels were built in the 1400s.

Over the years, the church has been changed and updated many times.

In 1785, the west end of the church was rebuilt.
Two years later, in 1787, the north wall was rebuilt. The inside seating was also changed, and a gallery was added at the west end.
More big changes happened in 1834.
The Arderne (north) chapel was updated in 1861.
The Utkinton (south) chapel was updated in 1865.
The tower was worked on in 1878, and the main part of the church (the nave) in 1879. These three updates were done by an architect named J. S. Crowther.
A special room for baptisms, called a baptistry, was added to the west end in 1931–32. This was designed by Sir Percy Worthington.
In 1935, the Arderne chapel got a new stone altar and was renamed All Souls' chapel.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

St Helen's Church is built from red sandstone blocks. Its roof is made of slate. The church has several parts:

A baptistry at the west end.
A main area called the nave and a special area near the altar called the chancel.
North and south aisles, which are like walkways on the sides.
A chapel at the end of each aisle.
A tower at the southwest corner with a small pointed roof (a pyramidal spire).
A porch on the south side.

The chapels are built in a style called Perpendicular. The rest of the church is in a style called Decorated.

Inside the Church

The main part of the church, the nave, has four sections with arches that date back to the 1400s. The pillars on the north side are eight-sided, and those on the south side are six-sided.

The screen in front of the chancel has beautiful Italian gates. These gates were made in the 1500s. They were brought to the church in 1889 from Siena, Italy, by the Countess of Haddington.

Other interesting things inside the church include:

Two special chairs called sanctuary chairs.
An old chest where special church clothes (vestments) were kept.
A 15th-century (1400s) eight-sided baptismal font. This font was once used in a farmyard before being brought back to the church!
A collection of helmets and pieces of armour from the time of Oliver Cromwell.

The stained glass window at the west end of the south aisle was made in 1899 by an artist named Kempe.

There are also important monuments inside the church for the Done and Crewe families.

In the Utkinton chapel, there is a large round monument for Sir John Done, who passed away in 1617. There is a similar one for John Crewe, who passed away in 1670.
In the north chapel, you can find a monument for Sir John Crewe, who passed away in 1711. It shows a statue of him lying down in a robe, with small crying angels (cherubs) at his head and feet.
The most beautiful memorial is a tomb in the chancel. It is for Jane Done (passed away 1662), Mary Crewe (passed away 1690), and her granddaughter Mary Knightley (passed away as a child in 1674). The three figures are made of white marble on a black base. The adults are shown lying down, and the child is standing, holding flowers.

There is also a special painted board in the church. It is thought to have been painted by someone from the Randle Holme family from Chester.

The church organ was built by Henry Willis & Sons. It was repaired and updated in 1998 by Michael Fletcher. The church has records of baptisms, weddings, and funerals (parish registers) that go all the way back to 1558. The records of the churchwardens (people who help manage the church) are almost complete from 1662.

The church has a set of eight bells. These bells were made in 1931 by John Taylor and Company.

Outside the Church Grounds

In the churchyard, you can find several interesting features:

A red sandstone cross base and part of a shaft from the 1400s or 1500s. This is also a Grade II listed structure.
A war memorial made of Portland stone. It was designed by Sir Percy Scott Worthington. It is a cross with a carved figure of Christ inside. This memorial is also listed at Grade II.
The churchyard also has the graves of a soldier from the Royal Engineers and two airmen from the Royal Air Force who passed away during World War II.
The lych gate, which is a covered entrance to the churchyard, is also listed at Grade II.