Church Of St James

Church of St James, Talaton

This is a parish church of 15th-century date, though it contains a Norman font. The building was extensively rebuilt in 1859–60 by Edward Ashworth, but many of the original features were carefully retained during this restoration.

The 15th-century work is constructed in coursed blocks of volcanic ashlar with Beerstone ashlar detail. The front of the porch displays a chequer effect of Beerstone and volcanic ashlar. The 19th-century work is built of snecked grey limestone with volcanic quoins and Bathstone detail, and the roof is covered in red tile. The plan comprises a nave and lower chancel, with a south aisle that does not quite extend the full length of the church and a north aisle of similar arrangement. The vestry occupies the north of the chancel. A west tower and south porch complete the plan. The tower and porch are both original 15th-century work, while most of the outer walls and the north aisle are from the 1859–60 rebuild, though earlier roof structures and many internal features were preserved.

The tall west tower is a superior example of its period, rising in three stages with diagonal buttresses and an embattled parapet set with corner pinnacles and gargoyles. A semi-hexagonal stair turret on the south side rises higher than the tower itself and is surmounted by a wrought iron weather vane. The belfry windows are large and two-light with Perpendicular tracery. The upper stage is richly ornamented, with image niches set into the buttresses and angles of the stair turret, some containing original statues. The tower's west doorway is a two-centred arch with a moulded surround enriched with a band of four-leaf motifs, and contains ornate 19th-century double doors with delicate applied tracery. Above this doorway is a three-light window with Perpendicular tracery. On the south side of the tower, the light serving the ringing loft is partly obscured by a 20th-century clock-face.

The south aisle has diagonal buttresses and a four-bay front. A fine late 15th- or early 16th-century porch is positioned left of centre. It features an embattled Beerstone parapet panelled with trefoils and quatrefoils, with a central image niche beneath a nodding ogee canopy and corbels carved as Green Men. The cornice is enriched with four-leaf motifs. The outer arch is two-centred with a moulded surround similarly decorated with four-leaf motifs; the hoodmould label stops are carved as angels holding shields. The south door is a two-centred arch with moulded surround and contains an old oak door with traceried coverstrips. The south aisle windows are three lights with regular Perpendicular tracery, with another such window at the east end. The north side is lower and features more unusual tracery.

The interior, though heavily restored, is of considerable quality. The nave and south aisle have open wagon roofs with moulded ribs and purlins, carved oak bosses, and the nave includes a more ornate boarded ceilure. The chancel roof is entirely a 19th-century copy, while the north aisle has a 19th-century open lean-to roof with Gothic carvings. A tall Beerstone tower arch is panelled with a moulded surround. The 19th-century chancel arch springs from carved corbels. The south arcade is built of Beerstone and comprises five bays (one overlapping the chancel) with moulded piers and carved capitals. The two-bay north arcade is a 19th-century copy. The walls are plastered. A medieval wall painting was discovered on the north wall of the nave in the 19th century. The floor is laid with 19th-century tiles, with an increasing number of encaustic tiles progressing through the chancel.

The rood screen is an ornate 15th-century oak example comprising eight bays. The wainscotting forms a blind Gothic arcade with windows displaying Perpendicular tracery, and the coving is Gothic with a delicately undercut frieze of three bands with crest and vallance, making it a fine example of its type. The parclose is also 15th-century oak but much plainer, featuring square-headed windows and a simple crest above.

The chancel furnishings are entirely 19th-century. The east window is flanked by painted Commandment boards. An oak altar rail rests on a simple Gothic arcade. Pine stalls with poppyhead finials and simple Gothic enrichment stand in the chancel. A 19th-century octagonal pulpit with panelled sides and a good oak eagle lectern are also present. Most of the benches in the nave are 15th-century, constructed of oak with two tiers of cinquefoil-headed panels carved into their ends. The remaining benches are 19th- and 20th-century; those in the north aisle are plain deal. A Norman font of hard grey stone takes the form of a table-top type with a simple arcaded frieze; its main stem is a plain cylinder, though the corner columns are ornamented with waterleaf capitals. A 17th-century oak altar table with turned legs stands in the south aisle, and the nave contains a plain 17th-century oak chest.

The memorial collection is noteworthy. Most memorials are located in the south aisle and comprise a good assemblage from the 18th and 19th centuries. The finest of these is in memory of Charles Harwood (died 1718) and features the inscription on drapery beneath a vase and winged cherub heads. However, the most impressive monument is now located in the tower. Dated 1613 and erected in memory of the Reverend John Leach, its inscription is constructed so that the first letters of each line spell the subject's name. The plaque has a richly carved Beerstone frame flanked by Corinthian columns with a moulded entablature, scroll consoles, and an apron featuring a skull. This monument is flanked by hatchments painted with the Kennaway arms. A 18th-century stucco Royal arms hangs above the south door. Some 19th- and 20th-century stained glass is present throughout the church.

The building stands most attractively on the edge of the village with fields behind it and a good group of listed buildings in front. This is a fine church in which high-quality original work was respected and preserved during the Ashworth renovation.