Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church built between 1855 and 1856, designed by architect W.R. Corson. It is constructed from coursed and squared stone and features heavy slate roofs, reflecting an Early English style. The church includes a west tower topped with a brooch spire, a nave with two aisles, a clerestory, and a chancel.

The exterior showcases clasping buttresses on the three-stage tower, which has a plate traceried west window, a clock, and plate traceried lights in the bell chamber. Above the tower, there is a corbel table supporting the spire, which features lucarnes and a weather vane. The aisles have plate traceried west windows, paired lancets on the north and south sides, and stepped triple lancet windows to the west of the south door, which is set in a gabled porch with shafts leading to a chamfered arch. The clerestory also has similar paired lancets. A vestry is located as a cross-wing to the northeast, complete with an octagonal stack on the gable end. The chancel windows on the north and south sides are plate traceried, while the east window features geometric tracery with three lights.

Inside, there is a stilted west tower arch and a nave arcade consisting of six bays, with short shafts that alternate between cylindrical and octagonal forms, supporting double chamfered arches. The roof features curved principal trusses supported by wall posts, with king post and collar beams, along with intermediate scissor-braced trusses. The chancel arch is steep, and the chancel has a common rafter roof. The sanctuary floor is covered in encaustic tiles, and there is a stone reredos that serves as a memorial for World War I. The choir stalls and open pews are likely from the 19th century, while the pulpit is dated 1927. The stained glass windows include one in the north aisle signed by Reuben Bennett of Manchester from 1904, another by W.J. Pearce of Manchester from 1912, and a window by Heaton Butler and Bayne from 1901 in the south aisle.