Parish Church Of St James

The parish church of St. James is a building with a long history, dating back to the 12th century. The earliest parts are the wall of the nave, the north door, and a section of the east wall, all from around 1120. The south nave arcade was added in the 13th century, followed by the chancel and chancel arch in the early 14th century, and the tower mid-14th century, with the spire completed by the end of the 14th century. A clerestory was added to the nave around 1370, along with a south porch. A south chapel was constructed around 1500, and the south aisle and porch were rebuilt during the same period. Buttresses were added to the north side of the nave in the 17th century, and the parapets were rebuilt. Restoration work took place beginning in 1810, with further work in 1815, including reroofing the nave in 1843, again in 1863, the chancel in 1908, the tower in 1914, and the spire in 1850, 1873, and 1905.

The church is constructed of stone and pebble rubble, with a tower of coursed rubble and an ashlar spire. Dressings are made of Barnack, Weldon and Ketton limestone, with slate and lead roofs. The west tower has four stages with a lozenge-shaped window featuring reticulate tracery, two-light belfry windows with transoms set in two-centred arches, and square buttresses. The octagonal spire has a projecting figure at its top, three tiers of spire lights, and a carved stone marking from 1873. The clerestory has three bays with paired lights in squared-headed arches, likely from the 16th century, and a plain parapet. The roof has a shallow pitch. The aisle and chapel walls are buttressed, with three-light windows set in four-centred arches, and a plain parapet with a pent roof. The chancel has a low-pitch roof and a similar parapet, featuring a two-light window with geometric tracery. The south porch, dating from around 1500, includes a reset late 14th-century archway with shafted jambs, moulded capitals and bases. The north door has a semi-circular head with continuous moulded jambs and beak-head ornament.

Inside, the chancel arch is two-centred, from the early 14th century, with two chamfered orders resting on moulded corbels. The tower arch is also two-centred, dating from the 14th century, with three moulded orders. The nave arcade, dating from approximately 1250, consists of four bays with two-centred arches and two chamfered orders, moulded labels, nail-head ornament on circular columns, and moulded capitals and bases. A reset doorway in the south aisle, also dating from around 1250, has a two-centred arch with two moulded and chamfered orders. A piscina features a two-centred head, a quatre-foil basin, and a stone shelf. The chapel has an early 16th-century roof with moulded beams and a carved boss. An early 16th-century oak screen has been repaired. A 13th-century font has an octagonal bowl. Two early 14th-century coped coffin-lids are located on either side of the north door.