Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church with origins dating back to the 12th century, although the main fabric is from the 15th century, with restoration and extension work carried out in 1902-3. The building is constructed of stone rubble walls with granite ashlar to the buttresses and upper stage of the tower, and has a gable-ended slate roof. The plan comprises a nave, chancel, west tower, a south porch, and a vestry on the south side of the chancel.

The earliest identifiable features are the south doorway and the font, possibly dating back to the 12th century, along with some fabric in the nave. A major remodelling occurred in the 15th century when the tower was added. The chancel was lengthened by 5 feet, and the vestry was likely added during the 1902-3 restoration.

The west tower is a three-stage battlemented structure with crocketted pinnacles and diagonal buttresses. It features a granite 4-centred west doorway with hollow and roll moulding, incised scroll stops and armorial shields in the hoodmould labels. A studded plank door, possibly dating back to the 17th century or earlier, has moulded cover strips and foliage carving in the head. A 3-light granite Perpendicular west window illuminates the tower. The north side of the nave has a 15th-century 2-light mullion window, with restored 2-centred heads, and a 2-light window of similar style on either side. A 17th-century 2-light mullion window sits between these. The east side has a 3-light Perpendicular window, above which a carved stone seated figure, which may be Norman, is set into the wall. The vestry projects as a small wing from the south side of the chancel. On the south side of the nave are a 2-light 17th-century mullion window and a restored 3-light cinquefoil-headed window to the west of it. A restored 15th-century 2-light cinquefoiled window is located to the west of the porch. The single-storey south porch has a crudely chamfered round-arched doorway.

Inside, the walls are plastered. The south doorway retains a plain 12th-century, round-headed design with a hood mould above. The 16th or 17th-century studded plank door to the porch has chamfered cover strips. The porch roof is plastered. A double-chamfered roundheaded tower arch is present, leading to a simple wagon roof with renewed ribs and a decorative wooden arch inserted over the junction between the nave and chancel. The pulpit incorporates carved wooden elements believed to be from the medieval rood screen. A simple, probably 12th-century, tub font is set on a central shaft in a square base.