Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church with 14th-century origins, significantly altered in the 19th century. The church is constructed of flint rubble with stone and clunch dressings. It has red plain tiled roofs with pierced ridge tiles, stone parapet verges, and cross finials to the nave and chancel.

The west tower is of the 14th century and is crenellated with a moulded stone cornice and gargoyles to each face. It has three stages and angled buttresses to the west face. The west and south windows to the first stage each have one light with a moulded label. The second stage’s south wall has a similar window. The bell chamber has a trefoiled light to each face.

The church’s east window is a 19th-century design of three cusped lights with panel tracery. The 19th-century north vestry has a lean-to grey slate roof and a red brick chimney stack; its east window features two cusped lights with tracery over in a segmental head. The north wall of the nave features two 19th-century two-light windows with tracery, and a blocked 14th-century two-centred doorway with a label above. The chancel’s south wall has two 19th-century two-light windows with tracery and labels, and a central two centred doorway with foliate stops to the labels. The south wall of the nave has three similar windows, with a buttress to the left angle. The church includes a 19th-century south porch with a parapet verge, cross finial, and a two-centred doorway with a moulded label. A nailed, vertically boarded south door is within.

Inside, the chancel roof has seven cants and moulded wall plates, accompanied by a moulded and carved stepped band along the north and south walls and over a coloured tiled reredos. A wooden altar rail is also present. The nave roof features arched braces to collars of king post, bosses to soffits, solid ashlar, and wall post braces. The chancel arch is two-centred and moulded, with shafts. A blocked north door has a pointed segmental arch. The tower arch is two-centred and moulded. A 15th-century octagonal font has sunk traceried panels and a 19th-century stem. A small recess with a two-centred arch, possibly a stoop, is located in the wall by the south door. A 19th-century octagonal pulpit has traceried panels, and 19th-century stained glass is found in the windows. Wall monuments commemorate Elizabeth Goodrich (1799) and Mary Sheldon (1806).