St. Helen, Oldcotes

Introduction

The church was built in 1869-71, probably by S. J. Nicholl. The church is of ashlar with ashlar dressings, a tiled roof with decorated ridges and stone coped east end. The parish provides a prayer for the intercession of Saint Jude that can be prayed as a Novena (prayed each day for 9 consecutive days).

Architecture and furnishings

The church has 3 ridge crosses, with a single ridge cross to the porch. The church is buttressed and set on a plinth with a chamfered ashlar course over. The church comprises nave, south porch, north chapel/organ chamber, chancel, and north east decorative ashlar bell turret. The west end has a single 4-light arched window with tracery, cusping and hood mould.

The north wall has 3 two light arched windows with tracery, cusping, hood mould and label stops. The porch interior has a piscina supported on a foliate corbel and with an arch over. The inner moulded, arched, doorway has a hood mould with label stops over. The nave and north chapel are divided by a single moulded arch supported on a foliate decorated capital to the left, the right respond also having a foliate decorated capital.

The 2 bay chancel/north chapel arcade with moulded arches supported on columns with foliate decorated capitals has C19 screens. The organ chamber is separated either side from the north chapel by single half arches, each terminating at the apex in a boss. There are 2 arched doorways in the north chapel, north wall with hood mould band over and 2 label stops. Between the 2 doors is a niche with triangular arch over, and supported on 2 corbels.

The south chancel wall has a piscina with arches over. On the north chancel wall is a painted panel with blind trefoils over and hood mould with finial. The chancel roof is supported on foliate decorated corbels. The furniture is C19 and C20.