Church Of St James

SHELDON SHELDON ST 10 NW

3/182 (1/1) Church of St James - II

Small parish church. Norman font, C15 tower, rest rebuilt in 1871. Tower is local stone rubble with Beerstone ashlar detail, rest is flint with Membury stone dressings and detail; slate roof. Plan: Nave with lower and narrower chancel. No aisles. South porch. West tower. Exterior: C15 west tower of 2 stages, unbuttressed with embattled parapet which includes a Beerstone niche on the north side. Belfry windows of different styles. West doorway is blocked and above is 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and plain hood. Rest of church was rebuilt in 1871 and has single and double lancet windows each side and 3-light east window with plate tracery. Gabled south porch has 2-centred outer arch with chamfered surround; similar south door. Interior: Mostly dates from 1871. Nave and chancel have boarded roofs carried on open king post trusses with curving collars. Chancel arch is plain ashlar 2-centred arch. Plain tower arch of indeterminate date. Walls are plastered. Floor of flags and tiles, encaustic tiles in chancel. Altar table, altar rail, stalls and benches all pine with a minimum of Gothic decoration. Oak rood screen mostly a 1939 rebuild of the original C15 but some of the tracery is original. Pulpit also incorporates some old carved oak. Norman font is Beerstone with plain circular bowl on cylindrical shaft. No monuments.

Listing NGR: ST1200408610