Church Of St James

The Church of St James is an Anglican chapel, primarily dating from the 16th century, and was restored in 1891 by C.E. Ponting. It is built of dressed limestone with a stone slate roof. The structure consists of a nave and chancel under a single roof, with an entrance located at the west end. The west entrance features a restored stone Tudor-arched doorway with a planked door that has strap hinges. Above the doorway is a tall 16th-century three-light hollow-chamfered mullioned window with a hoodmould, flanked by buttresses. The roof has coped verges and an ashlar bellcote over the west gable, which includes one Tudor-arched opening.

On the north side, there is a blocked pointed doorway to the right, a small quatrefoil window with cusped spandrels, and a two-light recessed chamfered mullioned window to the left. The east end has diagonal buttresses and a 19th-century three-light Perpendicular-style window. The south side features one two-light hollow-chamfered mullioned window, with all windows fitted with leaded lights.

Inside, the chapel retains original fittings, including an old tiled floor and oak pews with simply moulded bench ends, likely from the 17th or 18th century. The communion rails are from the 18th century, featuring turned wooden balusters and a wide moulded rail. There is a cylindrical stone font with a 17th-century font cover located at the west end. The roof is a tie-beam and collar design with four and a half bays, supported by two tiers of butt purlins, with moulded soffits on the lower tier and tie-beam. This chapel serves the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Heytesbury.