Church Of St James

MANCHESTER

SJ89NE WELLINGTON STREET, Gorton North 698-1/5/698 (West side) Church of St James

II

Church. 1871, by G.& R. Shaw. Coursed sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, slate roof. Decorated style. Nave with north-west steeple, north and south aisles and transepts, chancel. The 3-stage tower, the upper stages each set back with 2-course weathered bands between, has angle-buttresses, a circular stair-turret at the north-west corner, a moulded 2-centred arched north doorway, a traceried spherical-triangle window to the 2nd stage, small 2-light louvred belfry windows, a corbel table to 2-course weathered eaves, and a broach spire with lucarnes; its stair-turret has a small arched doorway to the west, a very small lancet to each stage and a cusped triangular window to the 2nd, and an embattled parapet at the level of the belfry windows. The 6-bay nave has a prominent buttress to the south-west corner, a large 2-centred arched 5-light west window with reticulated tracery, and a pilastered clerestory in which 3-light windows alternate with traceried spherical triangles. The aisles have low buttresses and 2-centred arched windows with reticulated tracery, mostly of 3 lights, except the 2nd on the south side which has a simple 2-centred arched doorway, and the 4th which has a narrow 2-light window; the transepts have large 4-light windows with reticulated tracery. The chancel has a large east window in similar style. Interior not inspected. History: endowed by Charles Beyer, engineer and partner in the locomotive-building firm Beyer and Peacock whose works were in Gorton, for his Anglican workers; built at the same time as Brookfield Unitarian Church, Hyde Road (q.v.), which was endowed by Beyer's partner Richard Peacock.

Listing NGR: SJ8861396442