The Clerestory

A general view of the clerestory at St. Helen's church

The perpendicular style of architecture emphasises the vertical elements of St. Helen’s church, and this can be seen in the raising of the tower and the development of the various roofs and associated parapet details - including the addition of the clerestory.

A view of the parapets and roof details

Seen from the south side, the entire clerestory has been built in Rotherham Red sandstone of the same colour as that used to construct the parapet, which runs along the length of the South Aisle and the Brampton Chapel. The individual blocks of stone are very large and functional, with a drip moulding forming the base to the crenellated parapet.

Details of the parapet

As a whole, the masonry appears to be very uniform in its weathering characteristics and - to my eye - the only other stone used is in the clearly modern restoration to the square headed windows to the south elevation.

A detail of recent restoration work

Without the benefit of a close inspection of the stone used for these structural repairs, it is not possible to make any further conclusions on its quarry source.