Holy Cross and St. Helen, St. Helens

Introduction

The Catholic church was built in 1860-2 and designed by J. J. Scoles. The church is built of rock-faced stone with ashlar dressings and a slate roof.

Architecture and furnishings

Some tracery heads have been repaired on the south side of the church. The church has a single vessel nave and chancel with aisles under lean-to roofs, transepts and side chapels under lean-to roofs, and a north porch. The interior has 8-bay arcades on slender octagonal piers and corbelled statues of apostles to spandrels. The church has a timber chancel arch with rood and pierced with tracery, and a continuous alabaster altar rail.

The Sacred Heart chapel in the north transept has an elaborate screen, arcading on paired marble piers, wrought iron gates, rich reredos and blind arcading with pinnacles. The west end, which is ritual west but actual east, has a five-light window above a small entrance and a spherical triangle window above that. Each transept has a four-light window with a rose window above it. The chancel contains a rose window with blind lights below it.

The interior is covered by a flat ceiling with moulded beams. The church has timber parclose screens enclosing the chapels. Elaborate reredoses are provided for the chancel and the chapels.