Building record MLI51389 - Church of St Helen, Lea

Summary

A 13th century church which was altered in the 14th and 15th centuries and restored in 1849.

Type and Period (1)

  • (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

The Church of St Helen is Early English to late Perpendicular and much rebuilt in 1848. It is in normal use. {1}{2} The Church of St Helen has a Perpendicular west tower and an Early English chancel, which was drastically renewed for Sir Charles Anderson in 1847-9 by J. L. Pearson, who also thoroughly restored the nave. It has a splendid decorated north aisle which is big and wide. The windows have flowing tracery, the north windows under straight heads. The arcade of two bays is again all renewed. It must have been Early English, with an octagonal pier, and double-chamfered arches. In addition, a south chancel chapel of one bay (re-erected in the 19th century, as the Nattes drawing shows only the blocked arch to the chancel), and a north chancel chapel of one bay, its arch on corbels with big faces. In the church, a chantry was established in about 1330. Does this refer to the north aisle or the south chapel? The stained glass includes two fine figures of c.1330 in the north aisle east window; also a 15th century crucifixus. Monuments inside include a stone effigy of a Knight, cross-legged, said to be Sir John de Trehampton (died c.1350); an architectural tablet in black and white marble to Mary Anderson (died 1636), of a type associated with Epiphanius Evesham; a monument with nice details to the Rev. Sir William Anderson (died 1785); an elegant urn with a wreath to Catherine Shuldham (died 1788); an oval tablet with snake border to William Anderson (died 1815); a small statue of an angel to Gilbert Shuldham, signed G. Troschel (of Rome), 1841; a standing monument to Sir Charles Anderson (died 1846) by G. Earle, junior. There are also a number of good unattributed tablets. {3}{4} Stained glass in this church dates variously to c.1325-50 and to the 14th-16th centuries, and includes a Passion Scene (c.1330-42). {5} For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {6}

Sources/Archives (6)

  •  Index: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 88 NW: 8.
  •  Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. SK 88 NW: AE.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: LUNN G. 1968. PARISH FILE. LEA. pp.13-5.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.429.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Penny Hebgin-Barnes. 1996. The Medieval Stained Glass of the County of Lincolnshire. pp.155-9.
  •  Index: Department of the Environment. 1985. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 1/33.

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred SK 83082 86676 (24m by 19m) Surveyed
Civil Parish LEA, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (0)

External Links (0)

Record last edited

Dec 6 2023 10:29AM

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