Building record 4218/0/6 - Church of St. Helen

Church built in the 13th and 14th centuries, restored in the 19th century. Built of squared coursed lias and limestone, with concrete tiled roofs to the nave, chancel, north aisle and porch and an aluminium roof to the south aisle. The church consists of a aisled nave, chancel and west tower. Grade II* listed

{5} Church. C13, C14 with C19 restoration. Squared coursed lias and limestone with concrete tiled roof to nave, chancel and north aisle and porch and aluminium roof to south aisle. Aisled nave, chancel and west tower. Chancel of one window range of 2-light square headed windows to north and south. 3-light C19 east window with reticulated tracery. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finials. South aisle of 2-window range, 2-light C19 window to left with cusped tracery. 3-light square-headed window to right. Similar 3-light east window. Gabled porch between windows has single chamfered arch and Decorated door surround in south wall with plank and braced door. Lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets. North aisle similar with two 3-light square headed windows. North porch between windows has blocked door and window openings and is now used as a vestry. Angle and clasping buttresses throughout. West tower of 3 stages with string course sub-divisions in first and third stage. 3 stage ashlar buttresses in first stage. Each stage sets back in receeding steps. 2-light bell chamber openings to each face of the third stage. Castellated parapet with square pinnacles at the corners has sections missing. Interior: Double chamfered chancel arch, 3-bay nave arcade. That to south is C13 with double chamfered arches, circular piers and circular capitals and abaci. That to the north is C14 with double chamfered arches, quatrefoil piers and ball flower enrichment. There are 2 half arches across the north aisle. The triple chamfered tower arch has capitals with flowers. Chancel roof is C19 and nave roof is C20. There is a sedilia in the left wall of the chancel. Stained glass: East window by Powell 1870. Stained glass also to east and south east windows of south aisle. Font, tub shape probably C12, with vertical zig zag decoration. Monument, marble table, is to Elizabeth Harrison died 1837. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.236).

{7} Font situated towards the W end of the S aisle. The bowl is oval, or more precisely rectangular with rounded angles, the long axis lying SW to NE. It is decorated with two horizontal bands of nested chevron encircling it, with just the return for a third band forming a rim. The bowl is lined with lead, and is badly eroded with mortar repairs to the surface. It stands on a cylindrical drum on a chamfered base and a damaged chamfered plinth to which repairs have been attempted. It appears to be in need of major conservation.

Description from record 4277/1/1:
{1}STANDING BLG;MED CHURCH OF ST HELEN'S AT GT OXENDEN;(+);

{9} Undated photo, also photo of repairs dated December 1974;

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.55-56 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<2> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.236-37 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<3> 1799, The Gentleman's Magazine (1799), p.651 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN44411.

<4> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.24-25 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<5> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 3/33 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<6> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G02 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<7> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, Site 964 (Website). SNN110894.

<8> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<9> Photographs of buildings in Great Oxendon (Photographs). SNN112511.

<10> Historic England, St Helen's Church, Great Oxendon, BF107325 (Archive). SNN114720.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 2:38PM