St Helen's Church, Waddington

St Helen's Church, Waddington
St Helen's Church, Waddington, from the southwest
St Helen's Church, Waddington Location in the Borough of Ribble Valley
53°53′24″N2°24′52″W / 53.8899°N 2.4144°W / 53.8899; -2.4144
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
Province	York
Diocese	Blackburn
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Deanery	Whalley
Parish	Waddington
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Christopher Wood

St Helen's Church is in the village of Waddington, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Whalley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the Diocese of Blackburn. ^{[1] [2]} Its benefice is united with that of St Catherine, West Bradford. ^[3] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. ^[4]

History

The church dates from about 1500, ^[4] but only the tower remains from that time. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1898–1901 by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley. ^[5]

Architecture

St Helen's is constructed in sandstone with stone slate roofs. Its plan consists of a nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a south porch, short north and south transepts, a lower chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages with a west doorway, above which is a three-light window. The bell openings have two lights, and the parapet is embattled, with pinnacles and gargoyles at the corners. The parapets of the aisles are also embattled. The east window of the chancel has five lights. ^[4]

Inside the church are open timber roofs. The five-bay arcades have pointed arches carried on octagonal piers. Above the inner arch of the west door are nine carved heads. The octagonal sandstone font dates from the 16th-century, and has a bowl carved with the instruments of the Passion. ^[4] In the west window of the tower is stained glass dating from the 19th century, depicting St Helen flanked by the Saxon chieftain Wadda, and King Henry VI. ^[6] There is a ring of six bells, all cast in 1972 by John Taylor & Co. ^[7]

See also

• Lancashire portal

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)

References

1. Semley, Ronnie (16 April 2014), "Diocese of Blackburn is now home to SIX new Parishes", Diocese of Blackburn, retrieved 21 May 2014
2. "Bishop of Blackburn Julian welcomes new parishes to diocese", Lancashire Telegraph, Newsquest (North West), 21 May 2014, retrieved 21 May 2014
3. Waddington: St Helen, Waddington, Church of England , retrieved 8 August 2012
4. Historic England, "Church of St Helen, Waddington (1163679)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 8 August 2012
5. Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 243, ISBN   978-1-84802-049-8
6. St. Helen's Church Waddington, Ribble Valley Borough Council, retrieved 8 August 2012
7. Waddington, St Helen, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 8 August 2012