Church Of St James

TL 78 NW, 16/16

HOCKWOLD CUM WILTON, CHURCH LANE

Church of St James

08.07.59

G.V.

I

Parish church. Early C14 west steeple and chancel, nave C14 but remodelled C15. Restored 1843. Flint with ashlar dressings and slate roofs.

Three-stage tower, externally of two, supported by diagonal buttresses. 2-light Y tracery west window above string course. Trefoiled lancets to ringing chamber. String course defines belfry stage which has 2-light cusped windows. Crenellated parapet, behind which rises octagonal stone spire with two tiers of lucarnes. Square stair turret to south-west. Diagonal buttress to west end of nave, flat to east. Nave with one 2-light Y window west of north and south doors, two 3-light Perpendicular panel traceried windows to east. arched and moulded north door. Gabled porch protects south door: 4-centred arch with continuous jamb and arch mouldings, 2-light square side windows with quatrefoils in head. Nave east gable carried on trefoiled kneelers. Chancel with diagonal east buttresses and one flat side buttresses to north and south and illuminated by two 2-light cusped windows each side with cusped reticulation unit in heads. 4-light reticulated east window with sunk quadrant mouldings to jambs and arch.

INTERIOR. Triple-chamfered tower arch and double-chamfered chancel arch. Scissor-braced nave roof of twenty-seven trusses, the purlins C19. Chancel roof similar, of eighteen trusses. Twenty-eight C15 benches with pierced backs revealing tracery patterns or geometric forms. Poppyheads with arm rests carved to represent figures or animals. Late C15 chancel screen of 1 1/2 bays each side of central ogeed opening. 3-light Perpendicular tracery fills heads of bays. Fleurons in cornice and arrowhead cresting to top rail. Founder's tomb recess in north chancel wall. Cusped ogee piscina in south wall, which also has wall monument to May Colborn 1683: foliate surround encloses rectangular marble inscription panel; predula with skull and crossed bones and moulded broken pediment above through which projects carved and painted coat of arms.

Listing NGR: TL7346888008