Church Of St James The Great

Church of St. James the Great

This parish church in Westerleigh dates from the 13th century in its earliest parts, particularly the north side of the nave, but was largely rebuilt in the 15th century with further alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chancel was rebuilt in 1879-81 by the architect Ewan Christian and restored in 1896 by Sedding.

The building is constructed of Pennant rubble with the tower in squared rubble and limestone freestone quoins and chequers. Stone dressings and stone tiled roofs with raised coped verges and cross finials to the gables complete the exterior. The plan comprises a west tower, nave, north porch, south aisle and chancel.

The north side of the nave retains its Early English heritage with a door and window in Perpendicular style. The west tower is notably fine, with three stages and numerous elaborate features. The west door has a pointed arch with two wave-moulded orders and hood mould. Above this sits a 3-light Perpendicular window with hood mould and relieving arch. The second stage on the north has a small trefoil-headed window with pierced wooden shutters and hood mould, plus a clock. The third stage features 3-light Perpendicular windows on all sides with pierced stone tracery in the central light and pierced wooden shutters to the outer lights, each with hood mould and relieving arch. A polygonal stair turret rises to the north east. The tower displays diagonal buttresses, moulded string courses, and an embattled parapet with pierced stone tracery. Fine gargoyles with rainwater chutes adorn the structure, with pinnacles at the corners and centrally to the sides. The stair turret has gargoyles, a tall parapet, crocketed pinnacles and a spirelet with weathervane.

The four-bay nave has varied fenestration. To the north are a 3-light Perpendicular window with flat head and hood mould, a 19th-century 3-light pointed arched window with mask stops to the hood mould, and a 3-light Early English window with trefoil heads to the lights, flat head and hood mould. The second bay from the right features the north porch with a fine studded door having a pointed arch and hood mould, with an image niche above and 2-light trefoil-headed windows to each side.

The five-bay south aisle contains a tall west lancet with angle buttresses and south buttresses. Two 3-light windows with trefoil heads and hood mould are separated by a door with a pointed chamfered arch. To the right is a 17th-century 4-light window with ovolo mullions and king mullion, featuring segmental heads to the lights and hood mould. Beyond this are a pointed arched 13th-century priest's door and a 3-light Perpendicular window. The east window is a 3-light window in late 13th-century style but not authentic.

The chancel has a 3-light east window and two 3-light windows to the north, all with hood mould with mask stops. A rainwater head is dated 1879.

The interior tower contains a fine framed ceiling with heavy moulded and stopped beams. Upright members to the right and left of the door have scrolled carved tops. A panelled screen to the east has moulded and stopped jambs framing a segmental inner arch with door. An inscription on the screen records its installation by William Prigge and Thomas Rudge, churchwardens, in 1638. A small triangular-headed door to the turret, made from a single plank of wood, is studded.

The nave has an upper west window with a pointed arch to the tower. The lower section is closed by 18th-century panelling forming the rear of the west gallery, which has a diamond-panelled front, fluted pilasters and a modillion cornice. The five-bay south arcade comprises octagonal piers with pointed arches having two chamfered orders. A richly carved image niche appears in the spandrel over a pier in the nave. The pointed arched north window has slender jamb shafts and hood mould. The wagon roof has a brattished wall-plate, moulded collar purlin and carved bosses, mostly dating from the 19th-century restoration.

The north porch door is a fine pointed arched example with heavy batten and decorative ironwork featuring fleur-de-lys strap hinges. The porch has benches to the sides and an arched-brace and collar roof with moulded collar purlin. The outer doorway has slender free-standing jamb shafts with moulded capitals and a roll-moulded pointed arched head with hood mould and mask stops.

The south aisle has a pointed arch to an east chapel, with a slightly lower arcade of two bays between the chapel and chancel, separated by a 19th-century low stone screen. The pointed chancel arch features 19th-century rebuilding of a squint to the right. A 15th-century triple sedilia appears to the right. The chancel and aisle roofs match that of the nave.

The church contains several important fittings. A 17th-century Norman revival font stands in the nave, alongside a 15th-century vase-shaped and panelled pulpit with foliated heads to the panels. An unusually large Royal Arms of George II is displayed in the aisle. Two hatchments recording benefactors are in the nave, along with a large piece of timber carved with the name Thomas Roberdes, probably one of the 17th-century Lords of the Manor.

Monuments in the aisle include a stone tablet with pilasters, broken pediment and shield to Mary Jones, dated 1661, with an accompanying brass plate. A stone tablet with scrolled pediment and shield commemorates Thomas Roberts, dated 1673, with a brass plate to the same person dated 1655. A brass plate with Latin inscription records Richard Hollister, 1659. A classical marble tablet honours Edward Clent, 1735. A stone monument with an oval panel, draped curtains and cherub, partly painted gold, dates to 1723, though the dedication is illegible. A stone tablet with draped curtains and cherubs commemorates Elias Dolling, 1728.

Fragments of mediaeval glass survive in the upper tracery of the Perpendicular window in the north nave.