Church of St Helen

Details

SP 69 SE GUMLEY GUMLEY

1/22 Church of St Helen 7.12.66 - II*

Parish church. C14, C16, restored 1874-6 by G F Bodley. Coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings. Graded Swithland slate roofs. West tower with broach spire, nave, south aisle, south porch, chancel. Double moulded plinth. 3 stage tower with chamfered stringcourses. West elevation: pointed arch 2-light window with cusped lights, hoodmould and head stops. Above, in 3rd stage a similar louvred bell-opening with no hoodmould. Above in the spire, a 2-light lucarne and above again a single light lucarne, both with crocketed gables. North, south and east elevations the same, but without the lower window. Spire topped with a cross finial, crocketed finial with empty niche on east gable of nave. Clerestory only on south side with two C19 circular windows. North aisle has a C16 doorway with 4-centred arch with chamfered jambs and 12-panel door. To right, a 2-light pointed arch window, and to left a 3-light pointed arch window, both with hoodmoulds and both C16 or later. To left again, an angle buttress with set-offs. South aisle has, to left of porch, a 2-light window with flat head and hoodmould, and beyond, a buttress with set-offs. To right of porch, a similar window with a buttress beyond. C19 gabled south porch with coping, cross finial and 2 buttresses with set-offs. Pointed arch doorway with double roll-moulded jambs and hoodmould. South doorway is similar, with plank door. Chancel completely rebuilt in C19. Coped gable with finial. Cill course. North wall has a central buttress with set-offs and to right an ogee arch 2-light window with flowing tracery and hoodmould. South wall has a central buttress with set-offs. To left a priest's doorway with pointed arch and hoodmould and plank door. To left again, a 2-light ogee arch window similar to that on the north wall. To right, a 2-light pointed arch window similar to that on the north wall. Diagonal buttresses at north-east and south-east corners. 3-light pointed arch east window with flowing tracery and hoodmould. Interior: 3-bay arcade on south side of nave with double-chamfered pointed arches and plain piers. Tower arch and chancel arch are both double-chamfered with polygonal engaged columns with capitals and bases, the tower arch with a hoodmould and headstops. Crudely shaped niche on eastern respond. South aisle has C14 ogee arch piscina in south wall. Chancel has blocked pointed arch doorway occupied by C19 organ. Flanking the east window are single ogee arch niches with cusped heads and hoodmoulds, each occupied by the figure of an angel on a pedestal. Sedilia below south-east window. Roofs all C19. Screen reputedly by Bodley. Pews, choir stalls, pulpit, all C19. C19 bowl and stem font with ogee-shaped wooden cover. Monuments: On north wall of nave three C20 plaques to Murray-Smith family. Above north door the royal coat of arms in square moulded frame. On west wall of south aisle a C18 oval marble cartouche with flaming urn at top and ornate border of palm leaves and winged cherubs heads with tassels. Inscribed to memory of John Horton (d 1701) and his wife Barbara (d 1705). Above arcade on south side, a C18 black and white marble cartouche with winged cherubs heads supporting a shield at the top, and bunched drapes at the base, inscribed to the memory of Andrew Horton Gent and Elizabeth his wife (both d 1721). To left of this, an oval slate tablet with white marble shield inscribed to memory of Richard Wynne, Rector (d 1788). On the south wall a C20 marble and mosaic plaque to one of the Murray-Smith family, and on the west wall a small brass WWI memorial plaque. Chancel has a C20 memorial plaque on its south wall and a late C19 plaque beneath its north-east window. Late C19 stained glass in west window, south aisle and chancel windows. Early C20 in north windows of nave. VCH, V, 120.

Listing NGR: SP6798990201

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

191348

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Leicester, (1964), 120

End of official list entry

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