Church Of St James

The Church of St. James is a church that was rebuilt in 1738 on the site of a late medieval chapel or oratory. It was enlarged in 1818, reconstructed with a chancel added in the late 19th century, and a porch was added in 1930. The building is made of coursed sandstone rubble with quoins and has a slate roof with stone gable copings. It features a nave and chancel designed in a vernacular style. The nave was raised around 1890 and the west gable wall includes a 4-light double-chamfered stone mullion window at ground level, with a recessed window above that has 3 round-headed lights with hollow spandrels, which are believed to be from the 17th and 16th centuries respectively. There is also an open-arched gable bellcote with one bell, topped by a pyramidal finial with consoles.

The nave consists of five bays, with the fifth bay added in 1818. On the south side, the west end features a gabled porch with battered buttresses and swept eaves, followed by windows with 1, 2, 2, 2, and 1 round-headed lights, all dating from the late 19th century and featuring diamond leaded glazing. The north side has an addition to the first bay, followed by four similar 2-light windows, with the middle two positioned higher than the others to originally illuminate the pulpit from 1738. The chancel has two round-headed single-light windows on the south side and an east window with 3 round-headed lights.

Inside, the church has a hammerbeam kingpost roof with Y-struts and a semi-circular chancel arch with shafts that have moulded caps. There are various tablets commemorating gifts and benefactions from the family of John Roper, including the porch, as well as a memorial to the Rev. Benn, who was vicar from 1823 to 1873 and carved the wooden furniture in the chancel. The 1738 chapel replaced a decayed building that measured only 9 yards by 4 yards and was built with the aid of Queen Anne's Bounty; it also housed a school, presumably at the west end, which was formerly galleried. The center of the north side was originally furnished with a 3-decker pulpit, reading desk, and clerk's seat.