Church of St James the Great

The Church of St James the Great is a church built between 1840 and 1841 by E.C. Hakewill, with a chancel added in 1902 by W.D. Caröe, and a conversion of the west end completed in 1978. It is constructed of stock brick with stone dressings, and the 1902 work features red brick.

The exterior showcases an aisleless nave with five slender lancets in splayed stone surrounds, which are now part of the separate western conversion. The nave ends in a taller bay at the west, featuring an attached stair and lift tower from 1978. The church has tall two-bay transepts that lead to lower polygonal chapels. A tall octagonal turret is located at the southeast angle, topped with a stone spire, and includes a Latin inscription course and gargoyles beneath a projecting cornice. The red brick chancel added in 1902 is supported by tall corner buttresses and has three lancets on the east end. The north transept connects to a covered porch over the footpath, while the south transept contains the main porch in its east corner.

Inside, the crossing features a wooden roof with four decorative bosses. The transepts and nave have wooden tie beams with slender struts above them. The chancel arch is supported by slender clustered piers, with quatrefoil details in the spandrels and short colonnettes with foliate capitals and corbelling on the outside of the aisles. There is a north organ chamber with an aisle behind an arcade that leads to the vestry. Each chancel aisle has a delicate wooden arcade, and there is a screen to the sanctuary with a painted wooden reredos. The east window depicts Christ flanked by St. James and St. John, while the south aisle features St. Anna, St. Simeon, the Sower, and the Light of the World. The wooden choir stalls are adorned with Art Nouveau flower details, and there is a stone font in the north transept. The transepts are behind a two-bay arcade with tall slender clustered piers, and the nave is separated by a 1978 concrete block partition, which obscures the original roof and inserted floors.

Overall, the Church of St James the Great is notable for its impressive turret and spacious interior, which is enhanced by fine detailing.