Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a brick and terracotta church with a slate roof, constructed between 1879 and 1881 by Paley and Austin. It is situated on the east side of Daisy Hill in West Houghton. The church comprises a nave, chancel, a north transept, a vestry, and a south bell turret. The nave, of three irregular bays, features a sill course, top cornice, and parapet with coped gables. The windows have Perpendicular tracery of three lights, with some bays having no windows or paired two-light windows. Weathered buttresses are present. A gabled north porch has a pointed entrance with carved spandrels, and the gable features cusped-arched panelling. The west end has a five-light window with a moulded arch within a square architrave, incorporating blind tracery spandrels. The transept is distinguished by a hipped roof, a three-light window, and a projecting entrance under a hipped roof. An organ loft is marked by a gable-end window with straight-headed tracery. The gabled vestry includes a two-light segmental-headed east window, a straight-headed window, and a north-facing entrance. The chancel is characterized by deep, gabled buttresses flanking a segmental-headed six-light east window, which is situated above a later lean-to shed; it also has four-light segmental-headed windows to the north and south. The bell turret breaks forward, exhibiting a pointed entrance and round-headed lights to the windows on its lowest stage. The second stage features a two-light traceried window and stair lights. The top stage presents flat-gabled buttresses, two open traceried bell openings, and traceried gable ends, with the top gabled bell opening incorporating a weather cock.

Inside, the nave has king post trusses and a boarded roof, as well as wainscotting and a sill course. Contemporary light fittings are present. The chancel arch rests on responds, while the transept arch has no capitals. A timber pulpit is placed on a stone base and includes a frieze of lights with rectangular pierced panels above. The chancel features a segmental-pointed timber tunnel vault. A two-bay arcade leads to the organ loft. The windows incorporate inner mullions. A high reredos features linen-fold and cusped panelling, a cupboard, and a cresting, with the altar having been moved forward. Sedilia and a piscina are present, both with traceried heads. A timber organ case is also a feature. The east window, designed by Morris and Co. in 1897-8, depicts the Epiphany and Saints.