Description

HELMDON CHURCH STREET
SP54SE, SP5843 (East side)
5/7 14/7 Church of St. Mary Magdalene
04/02/69 (Formerly listed as Church of
St. Mary Magdelen)

GV II*

Church. C14. West tower rebuilt 1823, restored 1841, and 1876 by E.F. Law.
Coursed limestone rubble, lead roofs except for chancel - slate, and porches -
plain tile. Chancel, north chancel vestry and organ chamber, nave, north and
south aisles and porches, west tower. 3-bay chancel has 4-light east window with
intersecting tracery, 2-light north window with ogee-arched head and reticulated
tracery and remains of piscina with cusped head incorporated in wall beside east
door to C19 vestry, a 3-light south-east window similar to that to north, and
one-light south-west low side window with ogee head and trefoil. Nave has
clerestory with 4 2-light windows to north and 3 to south with 4-centred heads.
North aisle has C19 east extension overlapping chancel and 2-light Decorated
windows throughout. North door has simple pointed arch. North porch has
hollow-chamfered doorway with 4-centred head, cut spandrels, small blocked
one-light window above and rectangular windows north and south with chamfered
surrounds and ironstone infill with cross ventilation slits. South aisle has
2-light Decorated south and east windows with cusped Y-tracery and 2-light arch
mullion window to west. South porch similar to north with blank arch above door
inscribed JHP/JH/CHWDS/AD/1841. 3-stage west tower has west door with 4-centred
head and 2-light arch-mullion window above. Datestone to middle stage west side
inscibed REBUILT/1823. 2-light bell openings with cusped Y-tracery. Diagonal
buttresses, battlemented parapets and corner pinnacles. Church has chamfered
plinth, string course, stepped to chancel, plain stone-coped parapets to aisles
and clerestory, and stone-coped gables to chancel and porches. Diagonal
buttresses to chancel. All windows and doors except for small side windows of
porches have hood moulds, some with carved label stops. Interior: chancel has
stepped string course, C19 stone reredos with painted angels and fine 3-bay
sedilia and piscina with ogee cusped heads, crocketted hood moulds and
pinnacles; chamfered priest's door to north with ogee head and hood mould.
Double-chamfered chancel arch, inner arch on polygonal responds. Nave has 3-bay
arcades with octagonal piers, capitals, and double-chamfered archs. C19 roofs
throughout except for moulded ties and purlins of nave roof, possible C15.
Medieval stained glass fragments in heads of aisle windows ad canopy heads in
south-east chancel windows, including figure of mason in north-east aisle
window. Tomb recess with Purbeck marble tomb slab with foliated cross. C17
communion table in south aisle. Complete set of C19 pitch pine furnishings,
(Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.253; Kelly's Directory for Northants,
1928)

Listing NGR: SP5901143186

Selected Sources

• Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1973), 253
• 'Kellys Directory' in Northamptonshire, (1928)

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