Church Of St James

The Church of St. James is a Grade II listed building located in Bywell, built in 1857 as a chapel of ease and enlarged in 1873. It is constructed from squared tooled stone with tooled-and-margined dressings from 1857 and tooled dressings from 1873, topped with a red tile roof. The church features an aisleless nave, a west tower, a south porch, transepts, and a chancel with a north vestry. Designed in the 14th-century Gothic style, the 1857 chapel, which is now the nave, was inspired by the chapel of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in Cowley, Oxford.

The west tower is three stages high, with a moulded plinth, diagonal buttresses, and a north stair turret. It includes a three-light west window, two-light belfry openings, and an embattled parapet adorned with eight crocketed pinnacles. The nave has two two-light windows on the north and south sides, which differ in detail. The south porch features a pointed arch with an IHS symbol in a foiled panel above. The transepts and chancel have moulded plinths and string courses, with angle buttresses on the south transept and diagonal buttresses on the chancel and north transept. There are various two-light windows and a three-light east window, along with an eaves cornice on the chancel that has square flower ornaments. The gables are coped and topped with finial crosses.

Inside, the church has a tall tower arch with embattled respond capitals and a chancel arch decorated with ballflower on shafted responds with angel corbels. The tower and south transept feature rib-vaulting, while the chancel has a painted panelled ceiling. The sanctuary is tiled and stepped, with a brass rail and a carved stone reredos. The north transept serves as the organ chamber. An elaborately carved octagonal font displays symbols of the Evangelists. The church also contains some marble memorial tablets, including a memorial for the 1914-18 War, and stained glass by Clayton and Bell.