About the Buildings Architectural history of St Helen's The Dean
and Chapter of St Paul's give permission for a certain William
to establish a nunnery in the grounds of the Priory church of St
Helen of the Benedictine Order. The nunnery is built to the
north of the existing church, and a new church built for the
nuns to use, immediately alongside the older church. The new
church is four feet wider than the parish church, and longer
too. So the parish church is lengthened to match. This explains
the unusual shape of the present St Helen's church building. A
line of arches and a screen separates the Nuns' Choir and the
Parish Church. The four great arches, which dominate the
building today, date from this time. The roof design also dates
from this era, although the actual timber is more recent. The
nunnery is surrendered to King Henry VIII, along with all the
religious houses in England. The Leathersellers' Company
acquires the convent buildings and land to the north of the
church. The Nuns' Choir becomes part