Worcester's St Helen’s church reopens after year closure

St Helen's on the High Street is back open after it was closed to make way for a major re-ordering project.

The church on Fish Street is a historic, Grade II* listed building that is believed to be Worcester's oldest Christian site and Worcester's mother church since Saxon times.

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Crowds gathered in St Helens to celebrate its reopening. (Image: All Saints Worcester)

The project restored the church to its intended layout, giving an accessible and multifunctional space in the very centre of the city.

Works carried out by Splitlath Building Conservation include a new purpose-built toilet extension and a new single-level sandstone stone floor with underfloor heating laid throughout.

A new ramp from the south porch has also been installed, further improving accessibility, and the kitchen facilities have been relocated to a smart servery in the space beneath the tower.

Outside St Helens on the high street. (Image: All Saints Worcester)

The changes to the site were made possible due to funding from the church's commissioners, and visitors were welcomed to the grand opening on Tuesday, October 3, by Rt Revd Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester.

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The Vicar of All Saints Worcester, Rev Dr Rich Johnson, said: "We are delighted to have been able to contribute to the legacy of the oldest church in Worcester in making the building fit for purpose for church and community in the present day and look forward to seeing all that will happen in and through the space in the future."

Christians had worshipped at the site for around 1300 years, although the oldest parts of the current building date back to around 1288AD.

Rt Revd Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, cutting the red ribbon. (Image: All Saints Worcester)

Architecturally, St Helen's has seen many changes and additions over the centuries but remains an example of how city churches would have looked in the Middle Ages.  

The works that took place represent the first significant interior changes since the nineteenth-century Aston Webb refurbishment. 

St Helen's is part of the parish of All Saints Worcester.  

As well as hosting lively Sunday evening worship gatherings, it is the base for All Saints Worcester's midweek activities, including toddler groups, creative arts groups and Alpha courses.