Church Of St James

ASHLEY ASHLEY VILLAGE ST 99 SW 8/5 Church of St. James 6.9.54 GV II*

Small Anglican church. Norman foundation, with south aisle rebuilt c1200, and altered including rebuilding of chancel in 1848. Coursed rubble stone with ashlar east end, stone slate roof with coped verges and saddlestones with cross finials. West tower, nave with narrow south aisle and south porch adjoining south transeptal gable, lower projecting chancel. Tower of 2 stages with string courses, upper embattled stage of C15 with gargoyles and mullioned belfry lights to north and west faces. Mostly 2-light plate tracery windows, replaced to north and east in C19. South porch has Norman doorway with dogtooth and horseshoe diapering to lintel and tympanum, roll moulded arch, and scalloped capitals to side shafts cut short at side stone seats. Three-bay Early English arcade on south side with clustered shafts with foliated capitals. Plain plastered nave vault, with 4 shallow bays of arch-braced principals to chancel, on long decorative corbels. Several fine stone wall tablets in south aisle, mostly of C18. East window has rere-arch with marble side colonnettes. (David Verey, Buildings of England: Gloucestershire - the Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: ST9317294712