History in Structure

Church of St Helen

A Grade I Listed Building in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.8124 / 51°48'44"N

Longitude: -0.2946 / 0°17'40"W

OS Eastings: 517658

OS Northings: 214020

OS Grid: TL176140

Mapcode National: GBR H7L.BBM

Mapcode Global: VHGPB.VP3Y

Plus Code: 9C3XRP64+X4

Entry Name: Church of St Helen

Listing Date: 19 October 1953

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1103657

English Heritage Legacy ID: 163972

ID on this website: 101103657

Location: St Helen's Church, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4

County: Hertfordshire

District: St. Albans

Civil Parish: Wheathampstead

Built-Up Area: Wheathampstead

Traditional County: Hertfordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Hertfordshire

Church of England Parish: Wheathampstead

Church of England Diocese: St.Albans

Tagged with: Church building Churchyard

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Description


TL 1714
14/428
19.10.53

WHEATHAMPSTEAD
HIGH STREET
(west side)
WHEATHAMPSTEAD

CHURCH OF ST HELEN

GV
I

Parish church. Pre-Conquest and Norman origin. Chancel, c,1230.
crossing tower, late C13. Nave and aisles, early-mid C14. N and
S transepts, c.1330-50. N vestry added c.1380, but altered and
enlarged 1897. Whole church was restored 1865-6 by Edward
Browning. Flint rubble. Stone dressings. Slate roofs.
Cruciform plan, the nave and chancel equal length. Large central
tower with leaded pyramid roof surmounted by a spire. Many good
Decorated period windows, especially to the transepts and the
chancel N and S walls. Early C14 W door with ball flower
ornament in double hollow surround. S porch of similar date with
chamfered arch and attached shafts. Interior: nave arcade of 3
arches; octagonal piers, moulded capitals and bases. Roof with
arch-braced collar trusses. Figured stone corbels. Crossing has
broad chamfered piers and arches. S transept has stone arch in S
wall, said to be a Saxon doorhead, and the E wall has an
intricate decorated style window with fleurons in the jambs.
Corresponding window in the N transept has ballflower ornament
and beneath the sill is an intricate blind arcade of c.1330.
Large N window with net tracery. The chancel E end has 3 lancet
windows of c.1230 set in deep splays and with deeply cut moulded
arches. C15 piscina in jamb of SE window. Door to vestry with
dog-tooth moulded arch. Font at W end of nave is early C14,
octagonal, with quatrefoil frieze. Early C17 oak pulpit with
shallow strapwork ornament. Jacobean screen at entrance to N
transept, probably fragment of a former W gallery. Pews behind
this are early-mid C17, one dated 1631. Many good monuments:
alabaster tomb chest to Sir John Brocket and his wife (1558) with
two recumbent figures and armorial frieze; large wall monument
to Elizabeth Garrard on W wall of N transept, 1630s: broad arch
surround with columns, broken pediment overthrow and semi-
reclining alabaster figures; next to this a classical wall
plaque to Sir John Garrard (d.1700). On E wall the many plaques
include one by Thorwaldsen, 1817. (RCHM (1910); Pevsner
(1977)).

Listing NGR: TL1765814020

External Links

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