Church Of St. James

Church of St. James

Parish church of various periods: the west tower, nave with north and south aisles, and chancel date from around the early 14th century, with the south porch and mid-15th-century additions, and the chancel was rebuilt and restored in 1856. The building is constructed of limestone ashlar and coursed ironstone rubble, with slate roofs featuring stone coped gables and cross finials, some with lead work.

The west tower of the early 14th century is partially clasped by the north and south aisles. It has a moulded plinth and string course, with three-stage angle buttresses; the north-west buttress contains a stair turret with a single slit and single round lights. The other buttresses have single gargoyles projecting from the angles at the corners, and all buttresses carry long square shafts terminating in pinnacles. A pointed early 14th-century west doorway has a continuous moulded surround, hood mould, and plank doors. Above it is a large pointed blind opening with roll moulded jambs and single small cusped openwork motifs in the position of capitals. A late 15th-century window was inserted with a pointed head, bowtell moulded surround, three pointed cusped lights divided by two castellated transoms, panel tracery, and a hood mould running into the string course on either side. Large blind pointed openings appear on the north and south sides, the latter possibly blocked at a later date, both broken into by the lean-to roofs of the aisles below. The north side has a 15th-century coped and corbelled chimney stack. A moulded string course defines the bell stage. Bell openings on all four sides each have a pointed head with two cusped ogee-headed lights, a quatrefoil above, and a hood mould. A clock has been inserted into the south bell opening. Moulded eaves above feature projecting gargoyles, battlements with corner pinnacles.

The north aisle, dating from around 1300, has a plinth and moulded string course. Its west end features a pointed window with chamfered surround, Y tracery, and a hood mould. The north side has a blocked doorway to the west with a pointed head and continuous chamfered surround. A large pointed window to the right has two pointed cusped lights flanked by single sharply pointed lights, a quatrefoil, and hood mould. Two rectangular windows to the left of the doorway each have three cusped ogee-headed lights divided by a two-stage buttress with gabled setoff. A parapet sits above. A mid-15th-century clerestory has pilaster buttresses alternating with three pairs of windows with segmental heads, two cusped ogee-headed lights, and hood moulds. Moulded eaves and battlements finish this section.

The chancel of 1856 features a plinth and string course. Its north side contains two plain lancets. The east end has two-stage diagonal buttresses and a pointed three-light window with intersecting tracery and hood mould. A monument to Mary Skelton, died 1767, is set to the east of the window. The south side of the chancel has three pointed windows with Y tracery. A pointed doorway below to the left has a continuous chamfered surround, hood mould running into the string course, and a plank door.

The early 14th-century south aisle has a plinth and moulded string course. Its east end contains a pointed three-light window with intersecting tracery and hood mould. The south side has two rectangular windows, each with three cusped ogee-headed lights. A gabled 15th-century porch stands to the west with a plinth and moulded string course. Blocked pointed openings appear in the east and west sides with hood moulds running into the string course. The pointed south doorway has semi-circular jambs with castellated capitals, a moulded head, and hood mould. The porch interior features flanking stone benches. The interior south doorway has a pointed head, continuous keeled roll moulded surround, hood mould, and plank doors. Moulded eaves and a parapet above carry a cross finial and corner pinnacles. The south side of the aisle west of the porch has a rectangular window with three cusped ogee-headed lights. An ashlar monument to Thomas Windsor, died 1799, stands to the left. The west end of the south aisle has a pointed window with chamfered surround, Y tracery, and hood mould. A crude 17th-century flowing cusped parapet runs along the south side of the aisle. A 15th-century clerestory above features gabled and cusped pilaster buttresses alternating with three pairs of windows each with a segmental head, two cusped ogee-headed lights, and hood moulds. Moulded eaves and a diamond frieze containing shields sit above, with battlements above that. To the east is a small octagonal turret with a castellated top and squat plain pinnacle with finial.

The interior tower arch, dating from around 1300, has a tall triple chamfered pointed head with hood mould, triple rolled jambs with continuous hollows, moulded capitals, and central filleted rolls. The tower interior's north and south walls contain the outline of tall pointed blocked openings with lower, shallow pointed relieving arches. A stair turret doorway to the north-west has a pointed head, continuous moulded surround, and plank door. The three-bay north and south aisles of around 1300 feature pointed moulded heads in two orders with hood moulds, quatrefoil piers with continuous hollows and broad fillets, tall octagonal plinths, moulded capitals, and octagonal abaci. The chancel arch, also from around 1300, has a triple chamfered pointed head with hood mould, responds of triple rolls with continuous hollows, fillets, moulded capitals, and polygonal abaci. A 15th-century tie beam roof over the nave features curved braces and stone corbels, restored in the 19th century. The south wall of the south aisle contains a 14th-century piscina with an ogee shaped cusped head. The north-east wall of the south aisle has a small pointed doorway with continuous moulded surround and plank door, with a small pair of rectangular recesses to the east. The north aisle in the north side of the chancel pier has a cusped pointed piscina with a moulded cornice with castellations and flower heads. An aumbry in the north wall has a wooden door. The chancel has a rectangular aumbry in its north wall. A 19th-century wagon roof covers the chancel. A 14th-century font features an octagonal pedestal with curved re-entrant panels decorated with flower heads, and an octagonal bowl with shields set in quatrefoiled panels and blind traceried panels alternating.

19th-century furnishings include altar rails, a pulpit, choir stalls, a reading desk, an eagle lectern, and chairs. Monuments include a black and white marble monument to the Reverend Joseph Barwis, died 1828; a white marble oval to Colby Graves, died 1791; a black and white marble monument with urn to Samuel Newzam, died 1826; a white marble oval on a single scrolled corbel to Colby Graves, died 1799; a grey and white marble monument with urn and ornate apron to Thomas Grey, died 1803; and a grey and white marble monument to Samuel Derby, died 1819.