Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a church built in 1871 by G. & R. Shaw, located on Wellington Street in Gorton, Manchester. It is constructed of coursed sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings and features a slate roof, showcasing a Decorated style of architecture. The church includes a nave with a north-west steeple, north and south aisles, transepts, and a chancel.

The three-stage tower is notable for its upper stages, which are each set back and separated by two-course weathered bands. It has angle-buttresses, a circular stair-turret at the north-west corner, and a moulded two-centred arched north doorway. The second stage features a traceried spherical-triangle window, while the belfry has small two-light louvred windows. The tower is topped with a broach spire that includes lucarnes and an embattled parapet at the belfry level. The stair-turret has a small arched doorway to the west, a very small lancet window at each stage, and a cusped triangular window on the second stage.

The six-bay nave is accentuated by a prominent buttress at the south-west corner and features a large two-centred arched five-light west window with reticulated tracery. The clerestory is pilastered, with three-light windows alternating with traceried spherical triangles. The aisles are supported by low buttresses and contain two-centred arched windows, mostly with three lights, except for the second window on the south side, which has a simple two-centred arched doorway, and the fourth window, which has a narrow two-light design. The transepts boast large four-light windows with reticulated tracery, while the chancel has a large east window in a similar style.

The church was endowed by Charles Beyer, an engineer and partner in the locomotive-building firm Beyer and Peacock, for his Anglican workers. It was built concurrently with Brookfield Unitarian Church on Hyde Road, which was endowed by Beyer's partner Richard Peacock.