Church of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church begun in 1845 by C.E. Lang and completed in 1858 by Walter Scott. It is constructed of coursed and squared rubble with a Welsh slate roof. The church comprises a nave with two aisles, transepts, a chancel, and a north-west tower with a spire, all executed in the Early English style.

The western gable features buttressing and six arcaded lancet windows, alternating blind and glazed, topped by a rose window with chevron moulding. The three-stage tower has clasping buttresses terminating in pilaster-shafts and a north doorway with paired shafts. Lancet windows are positioned above the doorway, alongside triple-arched bell chamber openings. A corbel table supports the spire, which features lucarnes. A gabled porch stands on the south west, with a steep, moulded arch featuring paired shafts. Five-bay aisles are marked by gabletted buttresses and wide lancet windows with shafts. Triple lancet windows illuminate the clerestory. A plain corbel table runs over the aisle and clerestory. The transepts feature paired lancets with shafts and a quatrefoil above. The north aisle and transept share similar detailing. The east walls of the transepts have raking arcaded trefoiled windows, formerly for a gallery, and flying buttresses support the nave. The chancel is divided by buttresses into three unequal bays, marked by paired plain lancets, and an east window with three stepped lancets.

Inside, the nave arcade consists of five bays with cylindrical shafts, their capitals alternately ring moulded and foliate. Heavily moulded arches define the arcade. Clustered shafts frame the transept arch and the eastern responds. Pilasters support the main roof trusses, which are scissor braced with side purlins; paired trusses are situated to the west and on each side of the transepts. Clustered shafts also define the chancel arch. An octagonal stone pulpit features enriched foiled panels. An oak reredos, incorporating a central traceried niche containing a cross flanked by paired traceried panels with angels on riddle posts and surmounted by an enriched frieze, is present. A further oak reredos from St Mary’s church, dated 1913, is located in the south transept. A circular marble font, with squared shafts at the cardinal points, sits on a mosaic floor. An oak screen runs along the west wall, accented by a coving and foliate frieze. Copper light fittings are in the nave, and stained glass depicting Saints James and John with Christ is in the east window, dated 1913 and attributed to Jones and Willis.