Church Of St James

SP 01 SW COLESBOURNE COLESBOURNE VILLAGE

4/30 Church of St. James

26.11.58

GV II

Parish church. C12 with C15 tower and chancel; largely rebuilt 1851-53 by David Brandon for H. J. Elwes of Colesbourne Park. Random rubble limestone with ashlar tower; stone slate roof. Nave with north and south transept; west tower; south porch; and chancel. C14 porch with moulded arch, buttresses and parapet gable; C13 south doorway with hood moulding and decorated labels. One square-headed C15 2-light nave window to left of porch with simple rectilinear tracery head and hood moulding; on north side another similar 2-light, and remains of blocked C12 window; otherwise masonry much rebuilt. C14 south transept with 3-light south window, and 2-light to east with reticulated tracery. North transept is C19 rebuild to match the south. C15 chancel, rebuilt C19; early C20 east window with geometrical tracery; below, set into the wall, a glazed tile from the reign of Edward II depicting the crucifixion; 2 small square-headed 2-light windows in south wall. Two-stage tower with 2-light west window, diagonal buttresses to lower stage only, and square stair turret projecting on south side; 2-light belfry windows, screens pierced with quartrefoils. Crenellated parapet with moulded string course below; diagonal animal gargoyles at each corner; small crocketed corner pinnacles. Interior restored in C19. 4-bay nave roof with collar and arched braced trusses supported on follated stone corbels; decorative struts forming 3-light opening above collar; plain painted walls; pointed chancel arch on restored C12 square piers with scalloped capitals; C15 tower arch; simple moulded pointed arches to transepts. South transept has wagon roof with brattished wall plates; trefoil-headed piscina in south wall. North transept has C19 wagon roof to match that in south; squint passage into chancel; elaborate C19 memorial to Susan Elwes on west wall. C19 wagon roof in chancel; many memorial plaques to the Elwes family on north wall. Octagonal stone C15 wine-glass pulpit to south of chancel arch on tall narrow octagonal stem; 2 panels each trefoil-headed to each face, one of which is pierced; entered up stone steps from chancel. Octagonal stone C15 font in nave, on octagonal bracketed pedestal with shield decoration; one quartrefoil panel to each face; wooden cover. The stained glass to most windows dates from 1854 and is by Thomas Willement; the north transept window is by Wailes, the east window dating from 1915. Stands in the grounds of Colesbourne Park. (D.Verey, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SP0040513412