Church Of St James

NORTH WRAXALL NORTH WRAXALL VILLAGE ST 87 NW 2/429 Church of St. James 20.12.60 GV I

Anglican parish church, C13, C14 and C15 with late C18 north aisle. Rubble stone with some rendering, stone tiled roofs and coped gables. West tower, nave, south porch, north aisle and chancel. West tower 3 stages, lower 2 stages C13 with stepped diagonal buttresses, rendered walls and small single lights to west side; 1840 ashlar top stage with Y-tracery 2-light bell opening each side, dripcourse, plain parapet and corner pinnacles. Nave south side has C18 2-light window; projecting C14 porch, stone tiled with arch- braced-collar rafter roof and dogtooth carving to wallplate. Fine C12 south doorway framed by 2 circular shafts with scallop capitals, square abaci, chevron-moulded arch with pellets to hoodmould; ashlar gable over 3-light pointed window with flamboyant tracery; stepped south east buttress. Chancel south side has Perpendicular flat-head 2-light window with hood and 3-light window. Blocked very low door between. Triplet of C13 lancets at east end and 2 north side lancets. North aisle replacing an earlier aisle, coursed squared rubble, stepped corner buttresses and ashlar coved eaves. East and west windows and 4 north windows of 2-lights with trefoil above. Tracery idiosyncratic. Interior: 3 chamfer tower arch, plastered nave roof, fine C14 octagonal font. South wall former rood stairs behind fine early C17 moulded panelled pulpit with tester. 2-chamfer chancel arch, plastered chancel roof and good c1850 bright coloured stained glass, east window incorporating old fragments. Dutch C17 painting over altar. East wall Gothic tablet to Reverend M. Wyatt died 1830 by Reeves of Bath. North arcade of 4 bays, quatrefoil clustered shafts and 2-hollow moulded arches, recut or rebuilt early C19. Bases of original piers remain. North aisle rebuilt late C18 with east end as Methuen chapel, dividing screen similar to nave arcade but with tall centre arch flanked by lower side arches. Spearhead iron railings. Windows have early and mid C19 stained glass. Methuen chapel has shallow curved ceiling with pattern of coats of arms radiating in genealogical order linked by rope moulding. Black and white marble floor laid 1780 around monumental Greek revival white marble sarcophagus of Paul Methuen (1723-95) and Christian Methuen (died 1779), possibly by Nollekens 1780. East end plaques to P. C. Methuen (died 1816) by King of Bath and to P. M. Methuen (died 1837) by Sir R. Westmacott. Methuen chapel reputedly built 1793 but payments for floor and monument from 1780. (Pevsner: Wiltshire 1975 360. Gunnis: Dictionary of British Sculptors 1951 278.)

Listing NGR: ST8179775068