West Keal is a village in the East Lindsey district of the county, 8 miles SE of Horncastle and 13 miles W of the coast at Skegness. S Helen's is reached by a narrow lane running N from the village main street, and stands alone in wooded countryside. The church is built of squared greenstone and limestone rubble and comprises a W tower rebuilt in 1881-4, an aisled nave, and a chancel of 1867, by G. E. Street. Romanesque sculpture is found on a reset capital built into the NW corner of the Victorian N nave aisle.

A holding in West Keal was assessed at 4 carucates in 1086 and belonged to Ivo Taillebois as sokeland of his manor of Bolingbroke, A second holding was held by Eudo Fitzspirewic in 1086 and was assessed at 6 bovates with a church and a mill. Finally land assessed at 12 bovates was held by Ketilbjorn in 1086.

As Pevsner points out this is the earliest evidence in the church, although scallop capitals were used for such a long period that it does not narrow that date down very much.