Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church largely dating to the 14th century, with a 12th-century chancel and subsequent alterations and restorations throughout the centuries, particularly in the 19th century. The building is constructed of flint and rubble, mostly plastered, with a red plain tiled roof and a weatherboarded bell turret topped with timber sounding louvres and a pointed roof. Stone dressings are also present.

The chancel is buttressed at the eastern angles and has a stone parapet verge. The eastern window is a restored 14th-century design, featuring three pointed lights in a two-centred head with a moulded label. South wall windows include one of two lights similar to the east window, and another 15th-century window with two cinquefoil lights beneath a square head bearing a label. A doorway between the windows has chamfered brick jambs and a rough stone two-centred arch with a label. The north wall features a small 12th-century round-headed window.

The nave’s south wall contains two eastern windows resembling the south-eastern chancel window, with early head stops to the label of the eastern window. A single pointed light is followed to the west by a 14th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and a two-centred arch. The south porch is timber-framed and dates to the 14th century, featuring a red brick plinth, chambered tie beams, open side bays, and two massive arched beams forming a two-centred archway, with one bay either side displaying trefoiled heads. The roof is a crown post design with gable bracing. Foiled bargeboards accentuate the porch.

Inside the nave, the north wall holds a 16th-century three-light window with chamfered and moulded red brick and a segmental pointed head, alongside a 14th-century window with two lights, also with moulded red brick and a two-centred arch with a label. A north doorway has a stone, chamfered two-centred arch. The west wall contains a restored two-light window with a two-centred arch and label, and a small 20th-century rectangular window with a central mullion set into a blocked doorway.

The chancel interior has a plastered three-cant roof and 20th-century stained glass in the east window. The entire floor is brick. A dropped cill is visible at the south window. Three niches are set into the north wall: two with square heads and one round-headed. A south wall piscina features double moulded two-centred arched heads, imposts, and chamfered jambs, with later round drains. Carved wood altar rails are from the 19th/20th centuries. There is no chancel arch. The nave has a seven-cant roof with a ridgeboard, and the two south windows contain 19th-century stained glass. A brass on the north wall commemorates William Hubbard of Bovill Hall and his three wives, dated 1596. A Royal Hatchment from 1726 hangs above the south door. The 12th-century font is constructed of Purbeck marble, with four round-headed arches on each face, and raised crosses beneath each arch on the north side; the stem was restored in 1954. A 20th-century gallery is located at the west end. The bell turret comprises four chamfered corner posts, arched braces connected to heavy tie beams, saltire side bracing, and notable carpentry details documented in a 1974 illustration by C.A. Hewett.