St Helen's Church, Waddington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Helen's Church, Waddington |
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St Helen's Church, Waddington, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SD 729,438 |
| Location | Waddington, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Helen, Waddington |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Helen |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 16 November 1964 |
| Architect(s) | Austin and Paley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1901 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, stone slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Waddington |
| Deanery | Whalley |
| Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Helen's Church is a special old church located in the village of Waddington, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England and still used for services today. This church is so important that it's officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very significant historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The church building you see today has a long history! It was first built around the year 1500. However, from that original church, only the tall tower remains standing.
Most of the church, including the main part where people sit (called the nave) and the area near the altar (called the chancel), was rebuilt much later. This happened between 1898 and 1901. The new parts were designed by famous architects from Lancaster named Austin and Paley.
What the Church Looks Like: Architecture
St Helen's Church is built from sandstone, which is a strong type of rock. Its roofs are made of stone slates. The church has a main hall (the nave) with windows high up (a clerestory). It also has side sections called aisles, a small entrance porch on the south side, and two short side wings called transepts.
The tower is the oldest part, standing in three sections. It has a main doorway on the west side. Above this door is a window with three sections. The openings for the bells have two sections each. The top edge of the tower is decorated with a parapet that looks like castle walls (called embattled). It also has pointy decorations (called pinnacles) and gargoyles at the corners. The tops of the aisles also have these embattled parapets. The large window at the east end of the church has five sections.
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see open wooden roofs. The main hall has five sections of arches (called arcades) that are pointed at the top. These arches rest on eight-sided stone pillars (called piers).
Above the inner arch of the west door, there are nine carved heads. The eight-sided stone font, used for baptisms, is very old, dating back to the 1500s. Its bowl is carved with symbols related to the story of Jesus's suffering (called the instruments of the Passion).
The west window in the tower has beautiful stained glass from the 1800s. It shows Saint Helen, who the church is named after. She is shown with Wadda, an old Anglo-Saxon chieftain, and King Henry VI. The church also has a set of six bells, all made in 1972 by a company called John Taylor & Co.
Find Out More
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)
