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Summary

St Helen's Parish Church

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1104955: CHURCH OF ST HELENA

Other References/Statuses

• Church of England HER: 5453
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS14SW/21
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PARISH CHURCH (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Chanter, J. F., 1910, Christianity in Devon before AD 909, 491 (Article in Serial). SDV870.

R. B. M., 1930 - 1931, Lundy Church, 1244, 373-4 (Article in Serial). SDV7178.

Blackwell, A. E., 1952, Seventeenth Annual Report of the North Devon Branch, 335 (Article in Serial). SDV7168.

St. Helens church. The present church was begun in 1885-1896 under the architect John Norton by the Heaven family, owners of Lundy. Lane described it as a "corrugated irony" (see SS13SW/128).

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 426 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Blackwell, A. E., 1960, Lundy's Ecclesiastical History., 88-100 (Article in Serial). SDV7857.

Langham, A. + M., 1970, Untitled Source, 110-1 (Monograph). SDV1268.

Official Guide, 1974, Lundy : Official Guide, 13 (Leaflet). SDV7169.

The present church, dedicated to St Helena, is the third or fourth church situated there on the island. It was built by the Rev Hudson Grosett Heaven in 1896. Materials for building the church were brought from Ilfracombe but much of the granite in the building was taken from the disused quarry company cottages beyond the Quarter Wall. The roof was originally covered with stone slates from Tetbury in Gloucestershire. The fittings inside the church are by Henry Hems of Exeter.

Thomas, J., 1978, A History of Lundy, 1390-1775, 145 (Article in Serial). SDV1273.

Jones, G., 1986, Holy Wells and the Cult of St. Helen, 59-75 (Article in Serial). SDV7180.

Langham, M., 1986, The Heaven Family of Lundy, 93-121 (Article in Serial). SDV730.

Griffith, F. M., 1987, DAP/IT, DAP/IT 4a, 8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV7186.

National Trust, 1989, Lundy, Devon. Vol. One, 156 (Report - Survey). SDV1275.

Completed in 1897, representing the achievement of Rev Heaven's life-long ambition to see a consecrated building on Lundy. It is an example of Victorian Gothic revival with nave, chancel, a square tower, chiming clock and a peal of eight bells. It can accommodate 165 people. Builders were Britton and Pickett of Ilfracombe. Many of the fittings and furnishings were provided by members of the Heaven family and their friends. When the Rev Heaven died he bequeathed right of appointment to the Bishop of Exeter. Church in very poor state with the E window storm damaged. Bells removed to porch. Vestry converted to living accommodation for visiting mainland clergyman. Other details: 101183.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 542-3 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Department of Environment, 1991, Lundy, 1 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV7171.

Granite ashlar. Slate roofs with crested ridge tiles and stone coped gable ends. Nave with porch under tower of W end of N side of nave, chancel with transept vestry on N side. NW to SE orientation. Victorian Gothic Early English. Nave has plate tracery windows on N and S, lancet W window with rose window above. Vestry has window in gable with plate tracery and lean-to porch in NE angle. Large three-stage unbuttressed NW tower with battlements, square stair turret with battlements in angle with nave, gargoyles at corners and lancet bell openings. Clock face at first stage above niche containing figure of St Helena which is above deeply chamfered two-centred arch porch doorway. The inner doorway arch has four arches. Interior has polychrome brick walls, red brick with black and white bands and diapering. Moulded stone chancel arch with dogtooth decoration and colonnettes on corbels supporting the capitals. Boarded roof, the principals on stone corbles. Furnishings by Hermes of Exeter. Reredos with 3 cusped arched on Purbeck marble colonnettes and with alabaster carving, the centre depicts the last supper. Piscina and sedilia. Altar rail with wrought iron standards. Low stone screen, carved stone pulpit and square font. The benches are complete including choir stalls. Carved wooden eagle lectern. Organ on south side of chancel. Circa late C19 stained glass east window, the tracery missing and stained glass in rose window at west end, one was designed and donated by Rev H Fleming St John. Ornate wrought-iron lamp brackets on north and south walls of nave. Five bells from tower, now in porch, dated 1897.

Le Messurier, B., 1992, Life on Lundy a hundred years ago, 14-6 (Article in Serial). SDV7211.

National Trust, 2002, The Archaeology and Landscape of Lundy: A Field Guide (Monograph). SDV7235.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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