Church Of St James

The Church of St James is an Anglican church located on York Road in Seacroft, Leeds. It was built between 1845 and 1846, with additions made in 1988, and was designed by T Hellyer. The church is constructed of dressed stone and features a stone tile roof in the Gothic Revival style.

The exterior includes tall, narrow lancet windows, some of which are paired, and tripartite windows at the east end. The church comprises a nave, chancel, north aisle, transept, south vestry, and a small octagonal room. It has a south gabled porch and a north tower that is three stages high, featuring the original clock, a stair turret with a conical stone roof, and a stone broach spire. There is also a lean-to bay added to the northwest corner.

Inside, the church has a five-bay nave, with the west end containing two bays that were screened off to accommodate a kitchen and toilet added in 1988. The roof trusses are of the hammer-beam type and are supported by stone corbels. The chancel arch is moulded and flanked by paired niches. The original octagonal font is now located in the churchyard, while the current font, made of alabaster and Blue John from Derbyshire, was given in memory of Ann Wilson in 1878.

In the north aisle, there is a brass memorial plaque to John Wilson from 1868. The chancel windows contain probably original stained-glass panels depicting the Resurrection, Crucifixion, saints, and evangelists. The south wall of the chancel features remains of a dado made of Dalton tiles from 1877, with pelican and vine motifs. A memorial plaque on the north wall of the north transept, now situated behind the organ, commemorates Mary, the daughter of John Wilson of Seacroft Hall, who died in Bath on May 25, 1883.

Originally, Seacroft village was part of the parish of St Mary's in Whitkirk. The foundation stone for St James was laid in July 1844, funded by the Vicar of Whitkirk and the Wilson family of Seacroft Hall, which has since been demolished. Local farmers contributed by providing free cartage of materials. The first incumbent was the Reverend HH Blanchard. The church received three bells from Martha Wilson in 1865, which were re-cast in 1984.