Church Of St James The Less

The Church of St James the Less is a parish church dating back to the mid-12th century, with significant alterations in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. It is constructed of mixed rubble with limestone dressings, and has a red plain tiled roof. A 16th-century weatherboarded belfry, shingled with fish scale striations, rises to a spire topped with a weathervane. The church originally comprised a mid-12th-century nave, chancel, and apse. A south porch was added in the 18th century, and a north-west vestry designed by Sir C. Nicholson around 1927, with a later extension. The chancel has four round-headed windows between pilaster buttresses. The south-west side features a two-centred arched window of two lights with tracery and a label, all restored; the splay may be original. The north wall of the nave includes a chamfered east lancet from the 13th century and a 15th-century square-headed window with two cinquefoil lights, labelled with headstops. A crenellated north vestry added in the 20th century has two square-headed two-light windows to the north wall and similar windows to the east and west. The west wall incorporates a partially restored round-headed doorway from the 12th century, above which a restored 12th-century window is situated. The south wall contains three restored round-headed windows and a window of two ogee lights with tracery within a square head, topped with a label. A 15th-century south doorway has moulded jambs, a two-centred arch, a moulded label, and head stops; the rear arch is round-headed from the 12th century. The 18th-century south porch is timber-framed and weatherboarded, with a moulded four-centred arched doorway, a keystone, double plank and muntin doors with lights, and a light over. A 15th-century stoup is located to the east of the doorway. Inside, the chancel floor is made of stone from the Island of Öland in the Baltic, with coloured 19th-century tiles completing the floor. A 19th-century altar rail is present. A niche with a cinquefoiled and sub-cusped head, unfinished, is on the east wall, and an unfinished 12th-century cushion stone bracket is on the south-east wall. There are 19th-century stained glass windows. The 12th-century semi-circular chancel arch is of two plain orders, with moulded imposts; the flanking walls each contain blocked round-headed arches and 15th-century foiled circular squints. The roof features carved and moulded tie beams supporting a centre post, arched braces to collars, brackets to ashlar posts, and moulded wall plates. The nave roof has seven cants and a moulded wall plate. Four round-headed windows are on the north side, the two western ones not visible externally. Around 1200, a painting of St Thomas Becket is located within the arch of the easternmost window, and possible remains of a figure are in the arch of the third window from the east, with other paintings revealed during 19th-century restorations now lost. The 19th-century stained glass windows are also present. Round heads are visible in the north and south doorways. A 20th-century pulpit is also situated inside. A small 15th-century niche with a cusped head is located in the east wall, and arms of Queen Anne are depicted on the north wall. A south wall niche, with the canopy and pedestal cut away, shows traces of colouring and carving, along with a piscina underneath. An octagonal font has a plain bowl with stiff leaf carvings to the soffit, a stem comprising central and four side columns with moulded capitals and bases, a chamfered base, and a 20th-century ribbed cover. A west bell turret has angle posts, arched braces to the first stage side girts, and solid braces to the upper stage. A bell dated 1636 was cast by John Wilnar of Borden, Kent. Cast iron heating grids are within the floor.