About St. Helena's Church

The site that once held the historic St. Helena's Church in Knutsford remains a poignant reminder of the town's rich past and spiritual legacy. Although the physical structure may no longer grace the landscape, the echoes of its significance remain. 

The site of St. Helena is an area of approx. 0.65 acres within a larger open space on Longridge/Higher Downs.  The site is enclosed by mature trees and overgrowth and within comprises an area of grass in which there is a rectangular kerbed area in which a number of the original gravestones are laid.

The site is owned and maintained by Cheshire East Council. The site of St. Helena’s Church is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This denotes it is a nationally important archaeological site. The intention of the scheduling is to protect the heritage of the site and the below ground archaeology.

The site is that of the Knutsford’s first church dating from the early mediaeval period; it was demolished when the new church was built on Church Hill. There are approximately 55 gravestones within the churchyard. A transcript of the inscriptions (undated but pre 1974) exists but has not been compared to the visible gravestones.  Many of the gravestones are broken and declining in legibility.