Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church with a 13th-century origin, discernible in the bellcote and niche above the south doorway. The majority of the building was rebuilt in 1855 by T.H. Wyatt. It is constructed from coursed limestone rubble with stone dressings and quoins, featuring Cotswold stone tiled roofs with raised coped verges, kneelers, and cross finials at each end. The church consists of a nave, chancel, a south porch, and a north vestry. The windows are in the Perpendicular style.

The three-bay nave has a tall, three-light west window with a hood mould and angle buttresses, along with two smaller two-light windows to the north. A small vestry is attached to the northeast, with a pitched roof and a pointed arched, chamfered surround to its door, featuring a stack rising from the verge. The south side has a similar two-light window to the left and a three-light window with a flat head, hood mould, and trefoil heads to the lights; a large stone bellcote with a pyramidal roof and cockerel weathervane sits to the right. The gabled south porch has a pointed arched opening in a surround of two hollow-chamfered orders, and a small trefoil headed window with leaded lights to the right. The inner door has a four-centred arch, a 19th-century door with decorative strap hinges, a hollow-chamfered Perpendicular style crocketed and pinnacled niche above incorporating three mask corbels and an image. The interior features a common rafter roof with collars.

The chancel has a two-light east window with trefoil heads, quatrefoil, and a hood mould. A small two-light window, mirroring the east window, is located to the south. The interior of the four-bay nave showcases an arched-brace and collar roof with wooden brackets and stone corbels supporting the arched braces; chamfered heads are present on the windows, and a hollow-chamfered head on the door. A pointed chancel arch with a chamfered inner arch leads to the chancel, which has a ceiled roof with moulded ribs, and a small pointed arched door leading to the north vestry. Fittings include a 19th-century font, pulpit, and pews. The Royal Arms are displayed above the south door.

The nave contains several monuments: a marble monument with a sculptured female figure and urn in perspective, commemorating Sarah Ann Hillier (1819), by Tyley of Bristol; a coloured marble tablet, commemorating Edith Osborne (1782), also by Tyley of Colerne; and a marble tablet, commemorating Frances Osborne (1822), also by Tyley of Bristol. In the chancel, there’s a multi-coloured marble monument with a pediment, dedicated to Reverend William Alsop (1750), by Joseph Plura of Bath. Stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops are notable features.