Church Of St James

SE50SW HIGH MELTON

7/85 Church of St. James 5.6.68

GV II*

Church. C12, C14 and C15, C19 restoration. Ashlar and rubble limestone, stone slate roofs. West tower, 2-bay nave and 2-bay chancel with continuous south aisle overlapping tower, south porch. Tower: Perpendicular. Offset diagonal buttresses flank 2-light west window with ogee-headed lights and hoodmould; slit windows to stair turret in north-west buttress. Small ogee-headed lights and string course beneath 2nd-stage clock. String course beneath later upper stage with transomed, 2-light belfry openings. String course with corner gargoyles beneath embattled parapet with crocketed pinnacles. Nave: chamfered plinth, quoins; all embattled. South porch has broach stops to chamfered arch; moulded, ogee arch to south door within. Square-headed aisle windows of 2 ogee-headed lights, massive buttress to east. Two 2-light clerestorey windows have ashlar surrounds and ogee heads cut in single slabs. Blocked C14 north door with ogee head; 3-light mullioned window on left has C12 scalloped stone in its jamb. C19 east buttress with octagonal flue above. Chancel: lower. Chapel in aisle has square-headed, 2-light window to left of round-headed light. C19, 4-light east window in Perpendicular style has cusped apron panels, 3-light, pointed window to chapel. 3-light windows to north. Gable copings with crosses to nave and chancel.

Interior: double-chamfered tower arch with ½-octagonal responds. C12 south arcade with cylindrical pier and scalloped capital with nailhead ornament, matching responds, plain round arches. C12 chancel arch-with chamfered impost and plain voussoirs, restored. Single-chamfered, pointed arch into south chapel. C19 roofs. Font: tapered cylinder with probably C18 oak cover. Rood screen with gallery and crucifixion, also the gilded, canopied reredos by Sir Ninian Comper (1905-1907). Excellent cl5 parclose screen to south chapel with Decorated tracery of mouchettes, carved cresting. Monuments: numerous wall monuments to the"Fountayne family; beneath tower to Thomas (d.1709) - aedicule on consoles which flank arms, urn finial flanked by lamps; on north wall of chancel to Thomas (d,1780), another to Anne (d.1746) wife of Revd John Fountayne; in north chapel to John (erected 1747) - half sarcophagus beneath open pediment with arms and elephant. Glass: C14 and C15 figures to north of chancel, C14 fragments and cl5 figures in south aisle. C18 heraldic glass in south aisle, associated with Peckitt. South aisle window of c1885 and east window by Kempe (Pevsner, p265).

N. Pevsner, B.O.E., 1967 ed.

York Glaziers Trust Report, 9 March, 1982.

Listing NGR: SE5091701811