Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a church dating back to around 1150, with significant additions and alterations spanning the 12th to 19th centuries. It is located in West Hanney, on Church Street. The church’s construction began around 1150 with the nave, followed by a late 12th-century tower, a 13th-century south transept, and a 14th-century lengthening of the nave and south arcade and aisle. The chancel was built in the 15th century, and a substantial 19th-century restoration involved raising the nave, adding a clerestory, and constructing a porch.

The church is built of uncoursed rubble stone, with a slate roof to the chancel and tower and old plain tiles to the nave and south aisle. It consists of a four-bay nave with a south aisle and transept, a north tower, and a two-bay chancel. A 19th-century porch with a two-centred archway is located to the left of the centre of the nave. The original Romanesque doorway has spiral columns with dog-tooth imposts and a richly carved arch, now containing 19th-century plank doors. A two-centred arched doorway is on the right return of the tower with a 19th-century plank door, while a four-centred doorway with a hoodmould is positioned in the centre of the chancel. Romanesque lancet windows are in the centre of the nave, alongside some 19th-century stone work. A 19th-century two-light plate tracery window is to the left of the nave. Two 3-light stone mullion windows are found in the chancel, each with arch-topped lights and hood moulds. A Romanesque lancet window is present in the tower.

The south side of the church features a two-centred arched doorway to the nave, situated to the right of the centre, along with a stone hood on brackets. Paired cusped lancets with flat heads are positioned to the left and right of the nave, while 19th-century windows are present in the south transept, including a 3-light geometrical tracery window to the south end. Further 3-light stone mullion windows are found in the chancel, and quatrefoil windows are incorporated into the clerestory.

Inside, the chancel showcases a 19th-century kingpost roof of four bays. The west end has 19th-century plate tracery windows, and the east end of the chancel boasts a 5-light Perpendicular tracery window with a hood mould. The nave has an 19th-century arch-braced collar truss roof of eight bays, while the transept incorporates a scissor-truss roof, and the aisle a lean-to roof. A piscina is located to the right of the altar, complemented by a late 17th-century altar rail made of turned wood balusters. A 15th-century chancel screen includes 19th-century wood panels at its base. The two-centred chancel arch consists of two orders, with the inner order carried on three-quarter columns featuring foliate capitals supported on corbels. A 17th-century wood hexagonal pulpit is positioned to the left of the chancel screen, and a Romanesque font rests on a 19th-century stepped plinth, adorned with vertical bands of rosettes. The south arcade comprises four two-centred arches supported by cluster columns. Fragments of medieval glass are visible in the aisle windows.