Church Of St James

NZ 4238 CASTLE EDEN THE VILLAGE (East side, off)

10/13 Church of St. James 20/2/67 II

Parish church. Dated 1764 and incorporating medieval masonry in west end and tower; aisles added c.1800; chancel rebuilt and organ chamber added in 1896. Possibly by William Newton for Rowland Burdon I. Dressed and ashlar limestone with quoins; sandstone window surrounds; green slate roofs. West tower, aisled nave, chancel with north vestry and south organ chamber. Early Gothick with pointed-arched windows in raised surrounds. West tower has 3 stepped stages, embattled belfry and octagonal lead-covered spire with weathercock; each stage has pointed openings to front and quatrefoils (some blocked) to returns; C20 external stairs to first floor porch and door. Single 8-pane windows high in flanking west aisle walls. 3-bay nave has low plinth, 3 similar windows and low-pitched roof with coped gables and shaped kneelers; C19 gabled bellcote near east end of north wall. 2-bay chancel has similar features; Venetian east window with pointed centre light. Vestry and organ chamber under low-pitched lean-to roofs.

Interior: each aisle has 2 unfluted Corinthian columns on tall bases; C19 wood west gallery. Coved ceiling with exposed tie beams. Semicircular chancel arch with smaller similar flanking openings; early C20 screen incorporating early C18 carved woodwork with flower and leaf motifs; encaustic-tiled chancel floor and coved, panelled, painted ceiling of 1896. Fittings: marble wall monument, on north chancel wall, to Rowland Burdon II (died 1838); 2 early, coped grave covers in east wall of organ chamber; brass memorial plaque, on east wall of south aisle, to W.S. Hicks (died 1902 "whose last completed work was the redecoration of this church"); oval marble tablet, in vestry, commemorates the rebuilding of the church in 1764; C18 oval font of marble on baluster shaft at west end of nave. Stained glass: 2 windows of c.1915 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne of London; memorial window of 1949 to Rowland Burdon (1857-1948) by L.C. Evetts.

Listing NGR: NZ4280638455