St John's Church was built in 1726 from an endowment by John Jackson of nearby Holeslack Farm and so its isolated position owes much to proximity of the Farm which is down the track towards Sizergh Castle. The Church serves the village of Brigsteer at the bottom of the scar, but the Parish is called Helsington after the name of one of the twenty four townships which constituted the greater parish of Kendal. The Church was a daughter church of Kendal parish church. The parish now forms a part of the Two Valleys Team.
There are some interesting features in the church principally a mural painted at the east end in 1919 just after the 1st world war by Miss Saumarez. The mural is effectively a war memorial reflecting the post war desolation in borrowing from the view outside to depict a scene of mountains, the river and sea and kneeling angels in prayer. The altar frontal is uniquely decorated with tooled leather panels. The wooden panelling and pulpit in the chancel were part of the 1908 restoration of the church. At the back of the church is the chamber organ made by Samuel Renn of Manchester c1845 which has a high quality mahogany case and matching lyre ended stool. It was purchased for the church for £35 in 1902. Click here for a full specification.
Our part time priest is Rev’d Simon Howard (07719889577), . Please contact him about any personal concerns or urgent pastoral needs.
For baptism, wedding, and funeral enquiries concerning All Saints', Underbarrow and St. John's, Helsington please contact:
Church Administrator: Janet Sullivan or 01539 730683
The church building is currently closed. Services in the parish are held at All Saints Underbarrow. Please click on the link in the "services" panel for further details.
For mid-week groups and other church activities and joint events within the team see the church notice board, Sunday notice sheet and parish magazine.
Safeguarding:
At St. John's Helsington we work hard to maintain a safe environment for all. We are committed to implementing the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies and good practice guidance. If you have any concerns or enquiries regarding safeguarding, please contact our safeguarding officer.
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jane Eccles Email: jinny1961@hotmail.co.uk Phone : 015395 58138 / 07779953763
The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is Joanna Van Lachterop and she can be contacted at safeguarding.adviser@carlislediocese.org.uk or at 07458 016884. Joanna’s working days are Monday to Friday.
Out of Hours Support:
If Joanna is unavailable and you are concerned that an adult is being abused, or at risk, you should report it by contacting Adult Social Care, Cumberland Council. Emergency Out of Hours - 01228 526690
If you are concerned about a child or young person, please contact:
If you believe that a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires medical attention, call the emergency services on 999.
Helplines: