Church Of St James

Parish church of Late 12th-century origin with significant additions and rebuilding spanning the 13th to 15th centuries. The church was restored and its chancel rebuilt by H. Goddard in 1850, with further restorations in 1887 and 1900.

Exterior

The church is constructed of coursed and squared ironstone with limestone ashlar dressings, with lead and slate roofs. It features moulded and chamfered plinths, sill bands, plain eaves, and coped gables with crosses to both the nave and chancel.

The plan comprises a small internal west tower with bell turret and spirelet, a nave with clerestory, north aisle, chancel, south aisle, and south porch.

The west end has paired central and flanking buttresses linked by a pointed arch carrying a slab-roofed bell turret with double lancet bell openings. On each side stands a smaller gable with a double lancet opening, above which rises a broached octagonal spirelet. Between the buttresses is a single 13th-century lancet. Windows throughout feature moulded reveals, hood moulds and mask stops.

The clerestory of 4 bays contains on each side three 19th-century foiled double lancets in Decorated style.

The north aisle comprises 3 unequal bays with moulded eaves, 2 diagonal buttresses and corner gargoyles, plus 2 intermediate buttresses. Its west end features an early 14th-century double lancet with Y tracery. The north side has to the east a restored late 14th-century double lancet, and to the west an ogee double lancet. Further west stands a restored doorway of around 1300 with hood mould and imposts with nailhead. The east end has a restored ogee triple lancet.

The chancel comprises 2 bays. On the north side to the east is a restored ogee double lancet with flat head. The east end has 2 diagonal buttresses, a stepped sill band, and a 19th-century triple lancet with flowing tracery. The south side displays a restored round-headed chamfered priest's doorway with hood mould and moulded imposts, flanked by single 19th-century Decorated double lancets with differing tracery.

The south aisle is of 14th-century date with 4 bays and a diagonal buttress at each end. The south side has an off-centre porch flanked by single restored ogee double lancets with depressed pointed heads. Beyond, to the east, stands a restored ogee triple lancet with segmental head. The west end has a restored ogee double lancet with flowing tracery.

The south porch has a moulded and chamfered plinth and sill band, 2 flanking buttresses and a coped gable with gabled kneelers. It contains a multiple moulded doorway with hood mould and mask stops. Each side has a small chamfered plain lancet.

Interior

The porch interior features 2 stone benches, a 19th-century common rafter roof, and a 13th-century round-headed moulded inner doorway with hood mould and mask stops.

The shouldered gabled internal tower has a double chamfered and rebated opening with hood mould, mask stops, and conical imposts. A 20th-century glazed traceried wooden screen is positioned here. The west window contains 19th-century patterned stained glass.

The nave arcades date to the early 13th century and comprise 4 bays. The north side has round piers, responds and bases, with a north-east pier capital displaying 12th-century style leaves and masks. The south arcade has octagonal piers and late 12th-century style waterleaf capitals. Double chamfered and rebated round arches with hood moulds span the arcades; that to the north is more elaborate and features mask stops.

The restored 15th-century clerestory roof has cambered span beams, arch braces and wall shafts, adorned with wooden angels and stone mask corbels.

The north aisle contains, to the west, a painted 19th-century wooden screen forming a vestry, with Latin text and Bishops' crests. Its east window holds stained glass dated 1877. The east end window has a coved and moulded reveal with hood mould and stops. To its right are a moulded square bracket and a 13th-century cusped piscina and aumbry with hood mould. Both aisles have plain 19th-century roofs.

The south aisle's east end has a blocked window with hood mould containing a war memorial. The south side to the east displays a cusped 14th-century piscina and aumbry.

The chancel has a 13th-century double chamfered and rebated arch with half-round responds. Its east end contains a 20th-century traceried panelled wooden reredos, a stained glass memorial window and brass dated 1892. A double purlin roof with arch braces and stone angel corbels spans the space.

Fittings

Furnishings include a 15th-century font with octagonal stem with shafts and panelled bowl re-cut in the 19th century; three 17th-century carved oak chests, court cupboard and armchair; mid 20th-century panelled stalls and desks; a 19th-century octagonal oak pulpit; an oak eagle lectern of 1907.

Memorials comprise a pedimented marble tablet of 1785, a Gothic style marble war memorial tablet and brass of 1913, and a roll of honour.