Religious History

The purpose of this section is to examine the religious history of the parish. The known history can be dated to the first half of the 9th century when the cross, which now stands in the churchyard, was erected. Many years later, after the Norman conquest, the Domesday Book records that in 1086 there was a priest and a church.

The church owed its allegiance to Rome until 1534 when Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England. Through many vicissitudes Anglicanism maintained the faith in Stapleford with St. Helen's as the mother church in the centre of the parish and a more recent smaller church,St. Luke's, at the northern end. The Roman Catholics re-established a Mass Centre in 1933

Non-conformists in the shape of the Methodists, arrived in 1773. They were followed by the Baptists,Salvation Army, Plymouth Brethren, and Pentecostal churches.

In 2011 54% of those answering the census question described thenselves as Christian. 8% were of other faiths and 37% said that they had no religion. 34 people identified as Jedi Knight.

It is not intended to give a detailed history of St. Helen's or St. Luke's as they have been comprehensively covered by the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese Church History Project Diocese, link and link although some aspects of the life of the church not covered by the project will be included.

If you would like your church to be included in this section, or wish to amend anything that already appears, please get in touch via the News tab.