St Helen's Church, Sefton Village

About

St. Helen's is a parish church of the Church of England in the village of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is within the diocese of Liverpool, the archdeaconry of Knowsley and Sefton, and the deanery of Sefton.

A church has stood on the site since the late thirteenth century, but the earliest parts of the current building are the tower and the east bay of the north aisle, which are fourteenth century. The remainder of the building dates principally a rebuilding undertaken between c. 1489 and c.

1587, when three successive members of the Molyneux family held the office of rector. An extensive restoration was undertaken between 1907 and 1922 by W. D.

Caröe. St Helen's is notable for its carved Tudor woodwork, including seven screens which are described in the Buildings of England series as a "gorgeous display" and the "great glory of the church". The church is one of two Grade I listed buildings in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, and has been included in Simon Jenkins' book England’s Thousand Best Churches, and Alec Clifton-Taylor's list of "best" English parish churches.