St Helen's Church, Churchtown

The Grade I listed St Helen's Church features a six-stage tower with angled buttresses, a crenellated parapet, and a northeast turret topped with a spire.

The church's foundations date back to 1180, with Norman pillars in the north aisle marking the initial structure's widening from an earlier Saxon building.

Medieval and Stuart-era wall paintings, discovered in 1971 beneath thick plaster, include a 1400s bishop's head and decorative frames containing Bible quotations.

The church maintains regular weekend services and houses a complete ring of six bells cast in 1828 by Thomas Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

The choir stalls contain medieval misericords decorated with human heads and mythical creatures, including an unusual carving depicting an elephant carrying a castle.

Location: Kirkland

Inception: 1220

GPS coordinates: 53.87880,-2.79000

Latest update: March 29, 2025 16:23