Church Of St James

ROUSHAM ROUSHAM VILLAGE SP4724, SP42SE 14/244, 4/244 Church of St. James 27/08/57 GV II Church. Late C12, enlarged in early C14 and with late C15 alterations; early C13 west tower. Coursed limestone rubble and larger blocks of ironstone with ashlar dressings; gabled stone slate roof to chancel and Welsh slate roof to nave. Chancel, aisled nave and west tower. Two-bay chancel has mid C19 Decorated-style east and south windows, and lancet and trefoiled 3-light window to north. North side of nave has 2 offset buttresses, a late C13 two-light trefoil-headed window set in early C13 blocked archway, a C15 cinquefoiled 2-light clerestory window, a blocked C17 chamfered Tudor-arched doorway, and 2 adjoining C15 two-light transomed and cinquefoiled windows. South aisle has label moulds over early C14 three-light trefoiled window and a C15 two-light cinquefoiled window, an early C14 trefoiled lancet and 2-light Decorated west window. Gabled mid C19 south porch has head of C13 lancet and a C14 sexfoiled light reset as side lights: hood mould over early C14 pointed moulded south door. C14 cinquefoiled 2-light clerestory windows. Early/mid C13 three-stage west tower has small corner buttresses, a C14 hollow-moulded west door, pointed lancets, 2-light round-headed belfry windows and crenellated parapet of c.1860. Interior: alabaster reredos of c.1907; early C14 Decorated piscina. Late C12 pointed and roll-moulded chancel arch has carved star-in-square pattern to hood mould and trumpet-scalloped respond to east. Late C12 three-bay nave arcade, with pointed arches and beaded capital to centre and early C14 bay to west. Part of rood stairs remain, adjoining C15 traceried and panelled screen, with part of rood loft remaining, to south chapel. Chapel has early C14 ogee-headed piscina and organ case by Kitchen of Winchester (1903) which has Gothic pinnacles and reused late C17 balusters and pew backs. Late C17 polygonal pulpit and pews with Jacobean-style carvings to panels. C13 double-chamfered tower arch. Memorials: C18 hatchment of arms beneath clerestory; C19 wall tablets to Cottrell-Dormer family; architectural frame to mid C18 monument to south aisle erected c.1758 by Charles Cottrell-Dormer; kneeling figures of John Dormer (d.1581) and wife brought from Steeple Barton Church in 1851 and reset in niche in south chapel; memorial tablet of Justina Dormer, d,1627, in south aisle; C17 and C18 memorial slabs with medallion portraits of Robert Grovelier, Rector, d.1720 and Reverend R. Burton, d.1730. Stained glass: late C19; west window of south aisle has C16 and C17 glass from Sesswell's Barton, on site of Barton Abbey (q.v.), reset as memorial to General James Dormer in 1742. The dedication of the church to St. Germanus suggest an early association with Christianity. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: pp739-40; VCH: Oxfordshire: Vol XI, p159; National Monuments Record)

Listing NGR: SP4799324169