Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST HELEN (1387671)

NESTON SJ2977 HIGH STREET, Neston Town 794-1/6/66 (West side) 27/12/62 Church of St Mary and St Helen GV II* Parish church. C14 tower incorporating masonry from church of 1170, probably restored 1697; chancel, nave, aisles and upper stages of tower heavily restored and substantially rebuilt in 1875. C19 restoration by J Francis Doyle. MATERIALS: coursed squared red sandstone with ashlar dressings; slate roofs with red tile ridge cresting; stone copings, gable crosses and finials. PLAN: 2-bay chancel and north vestry; 6-bay aisled nave and south porch; west tower. EXTERIOR: 3 stepped lancets with stained glass to chancel east window flanked by diagonal buttresses. Aisle gable ends have trefoil headed lancets in pairs with trefoils above under hoodmoulds with face stops. A high plinth with cavetto cornice and ogee sill-string are continuous features throughout the east gable-ends and aisles elevations. Aisle windows are mainly lancets. On the south side, oak doors in the porch and to east in aisle wall are pointed and have hoodmoulds. On north side, vestry door is set within a recessed porch. 4-stage tower has low weathered plinth and diagonal buttresses. Small pointed door to west with trefoil window above; first stage has sunken narrow windows with flat heads. The upper levels have louvred 2-light traceried openings. Datestone set in the south face gives 1697 restoration date. Crenellated parapet with four main face gargoyles. INTERIOR: chancel has twisted crested wrought iron chancel rail. Painted stone reredos with statues, painted features, gablets and crocketed pinnacles; brass rail and mosaic floor to Sanctuary; 3-seat sedilia and panelled oak choir stalls. 6-bay nave arcades of alternately octagonal and round columns with moulded capitals. Round tower arch fitted with ornate memorial gates circa 1904: high on east wall, blind arcade of six shafts commemorates the earlier origins of the church. Waggon roof to chancel; diagonally boarded hammerbeam roof to nave. FITTINGS: pitch pine benches and nave wainscotting with quatrefoil frieze. C16 octagonal roll moulded stone font with quatrefoils to bowl and cusped lancet panels to stem. Panelled oak pulpit on stone base. MEMORIALS: 1914-1919 memorial window flanked by names on slate tablets. Stones: fragments of Saxon crosses mounted at west end of church. STAINED GLASS: by Morris and Co, and Kempe. Listing NGR: SJ2915077442