Church of St James (Ruins) at Grid Reference St 537964 is a Grade II listed building in the Forest of Dean local planning authority area, England. First listed on 7 March 1988. A Medieval Church.

Church of St James (Ruins) at Grid Reference St 537964

WRENN ID
outer-garret-yarrow
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Forest of Dean
Constituency
Forest of Dean MP: Matt Bishop (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
7 March 1988
Type
Church
Period
Medieval
Address
Church of St James (Ruins) at Grid Reference St 537964, Tidenham
OS grid reference
ST 536 964
Coordinates
51.66518, -2.67086
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Church of St James, now in ruins, is located in Tidenham Lancaut and dates from the 12th century, with later medieval additions. The remains consist of rubble walls that reach the former plate height, along with east and west gables and an intermediate chancel arch, though no roofs or other structures remain. Originally, it was a two-cell chapel built as a single Norman chapel and later extended to the west.

At the west end, the gable features a two-light opening with roughly pointed heads and a deep central mullion. On the south side, which faces the river, there are remnants of a Norman door, although all the dressed work is gone. To the right of the door is a square opening with a chamfered surround, which previously had a mullion, and remains of a priest's door. Further to the right, there is another two-light opening with a mullion, all of which are chamfered. The chancel arch is slightly pointed and flares from heavy capped responds.

In the east wall, there is a window with a single roll moulding leading to a deep splay, as well as a double roll with a deep hollow on the exterior. Inside the ruins, various ledger slab monuments can be found, including those of Jane Stephens from 1682, Henry Stephens from 1678, and John Stephens from 1707, with the latter being a nearly complete incised slab. As of December 1983, the building was railed off and deemed dangerous. It stands as a substantial remnant in a picturesque setting on a bend of the River Wye and is believed to mark the site of a former village that is now lost.

Local climate

Church of St James (Ruins) at Grid Reference St 537964 receives an average of 830 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 55% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 59% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 39 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 76% of listed buildings. Of these, 18 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

Sign in or create a free account to unlock:

  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • No related consent applications matched
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Create free account

Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.

Similar buildings

The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.

Nearby listed buildings

  1. Lancaut Farmhouse Grade II 322 m
  2. Milestone at Grid Reference 543959 Grade II 787 m
  3. Pen Moel Grade II 952 m
  4. Archway to Old School Lane at Grid Reference 542956 Grade II 998 m
  5. Church Cottage Grade II 1.2 km
  6. Church of St Luke Grade II 1.2 km
  7. Powder House Grade II 1.3 km
  8. Milestone at Grid Reference St548972 Grade II 1.4 km
  9. Look Out Tower in Garden to North of Pen Y Bryn Grade II 1.4 km
  10. Bishton Farm and Attached Barn Grade II 1.5 km