Church Of St James

The Church of St James was built between 1856 and 1857, likely with later enlargement, by A Rimmer. It is constructed from coursed, rock-faced red sandstone rubble with steeply pitched slate roofs. The church’s architectural style is inspired by the 14th century.

The building comprises a nave with a west steeple, north and south porches, gabled wings to the second bay of the nave, twin-gabled north and south transepts, a large chancel, and various gabled side offices to the south, with the largest being embraced by a lean-to extension on the east side of the transept.

The four-stage tower has diagonal buttresses and a short, broach spire. It features a two-light west window and coupled lancet belfry windows; the spire has lucarnes on two levels. The gabled porches have side buttresses and doorways in the east sides. The south wall has stepped three-light windows with cusped lights in the first, fourth, and fifth bays. The wings to the second bay, and each gable of the transepts, have two-centred arched three-light windows with differing tracery. The roof has three gabled wooden dormers, each with four arched lights. The chancel has a large east window of five cusped lights with elaborate tracery in the head.

The interior is a single vessel and features queen strut roof trusses and steel tie-rods, along with good stained glass windows.