Church Of St James

Church of St James

Parish church. The tower was rebuilt, transepts added and the remainder remodelled by R. Brandon in 1851. The building is constructed of coursed and squared ironstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings and lead and slate roofs. A chamfered plinth runs around the base, with a moulded sill band and eaves enriched with ballflowers, masks, fleurons and gargoyles. The gables are coped with kneelers, finials and crosses. Windows throughout are of Decorated and Perpendicular traceried lancets with moulded reveals, hood moulds and mask stops.

The church comprises a west tower with spire, nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, north and south transepts, chancel and south porch.

The west tower rises in three stages with a deep plinth and four gabled angle buttresses supporting foiled corbel table work. An octagonal broach spire rises above, containing three tiers of gabled lucarnes on the cardinal faces, the two lower tiers featuring Y tracery. At the apex sit a finial and weathercock. The first stage has a double lancet to the west. The second stage carries single lancets on three sides. The third stage features double lancet bell openings on each side, flanked by blank single lancets with shafts and linked hood moulds.

The clerestory runs along the nave with four transomed triple lancets on each side. The buttressed north aisle comprises three bays, with a Decorated double lancet at its west end. The north side has a slightly off-centre moulded doorway with double shafts, flanked by single Decorated triple lancets with depressed heads. The buttressed south aisle likewise contains three bays, with an ogee double lancet featuring Y tracery at its west end. The south side contains a triple lancet to the west and a foiled single lancet to the east.

The north transept has gabled angle buttresses and a triple lancet to the north, above which sits a cusped trefoil. To the east are two cusped single lancets. The similar south transept features identical fenestration.

The chancel spans two bays with a single central buttress on each side and two gabled angle buttresses at the east end. The north side displays two double lancets. The east end has a triple lancet with flowing tracery. The south side contains two double lancets to the west.

The gabled and buttressed south porch has a coped gable with kneelers and cross. A moulded doorway is enriched with fleurons and is flanked by a single lancet on each side. Latticed wooden gates close the entrance.

Interior

The interior contains two stone benches and a common rafter roof. The nave features a multiple moulded tower arch with hood mould and round responds. The tower chamber above is fitted with a coffered ceiling and contains a stained glass memorial west window dated 1852.

The nave arcades comprise three bays with round and octagonal piers and responds, moulded bases and capitals, and moulded arches with hood moulds and foliate stops. The roof is low pitched with arch braces, struts and wall shafts carried on large angel corbels.

The north and south aisles each have a double chamfered archway at the east end and moulded roofs with arch braces, traceried spandrels and foliate corbels. The north aisle eastern window contains memorial stained glass of 1851. The south aisle west end window displays memorial stained glass of 1875. The remaining windows in the aisles contain mid-19th century stained glass attributed to Hardman.

The north and south transepts each contain heavily moulded arches with hood moulds and mask corbels, and continuous sill bands. The gable windows feature shafts and hood moulds and contain mid-19th century stained glass. Both transepts have elaborate arch-braced principal rafter roofs with foliate corbels. The north transept roof incorporates a traceried wall plate with angel bosses.

The chancel is entered through a filleted moulded arch with hood mould and triple shaft responds on large angel corbels. A panelled dado dating from 1904 runs around the interior with a moulded sill band. The east end window has shafts and a hood mould and contains poorly preserved stained glass, probably by Hardman. The south side features a 14th century style ogee piscina and 13th century style graduated sedilia, both with hood moulds. To the east is a window with stained glass by Kempe dating from 1886. The chancel roof is an elaborate arch-braced principal rafter type with large foliate canopied corbels, four of which bear masks.

The church's 1852 furnishings include a font with clustered shaft stem and round bowl bearing a high relief figure panel. An octagonal pulpit is carved with tracery, and a traceried reading desk is paired with moulded benches and choir stalls featuring shaped backs and bookstands with poppyheads. A 17th century table with turned legs survives. An organ dates from 1904.

The church contains twenty memorial brasses spanning the early 19th century to the early 20th century, all commemorating members of the Hartopp family.