St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

St Helen’s Church stands in the centre of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a small market town in Leicestershire. The building is mostly sandstone, with a tall west tower added in the 15th century by William Hastings when he rebuilt the church at the same time as his nearby castle. The nave is wider than it is long because two outer aisles were added in the 19th century to hold a growing congregation. Inside, the church mixes medieval fabric with Victorian additions, including a new roof and extra windows. The Hastings Chapel and the chancel still show the 15th-century work of the Hastings family, long-time patrons of the church. The church’s unusual east–west alignment at 25° north of east makes it stand out among English parish churches. The church is worth visiting for its exceptional architecture and its long history. It has been a Grade I listed building since 1950, recognised for both its medieval and Victorian elements. The Hastings family supported the church for four centuries and helped spread Puritan ideas through the town. Important figures such as Anthony Gilby and Arthur Hildersham preached here under the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. The church also contains rare items like a finger pillory, once used as a humane punishment. The stained glass windows tell the life of Christ in a clear sequence, while the carved stone heads by Thomas Earp add a striking Victorian touch. Inside, visitors find a spacious nave with medieval piers and Victorian aisles. The chancel has three sedilia and a piscina on its north wall, and the Hastings Chapel sits transept-wise beside it. The Lady Chapel and the Chapel of St Michael and All Angels hold twenty of Thomas Earp’s stone heads, each depicting biblical or historical figures. The west tower contains a spiral stair to the bell chamber and a four-light window above the west door. The Victorian stained glass, installed by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake, fills the nave with scenes from the life of Jesus. Outside, the churchyard still shows signs of its long use, with old buttresses and battlements marking its medieval defences.