Church Of St James

SU 73 SW 5/6 31.7.63

EAST TISTED STATION ROAD Church of St James (Formerly listed as Church of St James the Apostle)

GV II*

Parish church. Of medieval origin, mainly a rebuild of 1846. Stone and slate. A building in Decorated style, with symmetrical treatment; nave of 3 bays with aisles, chancel with north (vestry) and south chapels, and west tower with entrance door at the south side. Plain roofs. The walls are of coursed flint with Bath stone dressings; crenellated parapet with finials at the corners, stepped buttresses (diagonal at the corners), plinth, coupled windows with reticulate tracery. The east walls are of malmstone with single-light east windows to the chapels and a 4-light east window with flowing tracery. The tower has 3 stages (the lowest part incorporating some C14 work), with decorated parapet, corner finials above stepped buttresses (diagonal to the south west), octagonal stair turret at the north-west corner, and doorway of recessed Orders, with an ogee hood-mould. Inside, the fittings are Victorian, with an octagonal font and octagonal nave columns. The building has been designed to accommodate important tombs from the old church, with recesses at the east end of the aisles and in the centre of the aisles (the middle bay is an architectural framework). The south aisle east recess contains the panelled table tomb of Elizabeth and John Norton (c1530) with an arched canopy and heraldic device. The north aisle east recess has the tomb of Sir John Norton (1686), with a recumbent figure in armour resting on a table tomb, a background panel with architectural surround, and heraldic top-piece. A mid C16 monument occupies the middle recess of the north aisle, being an Ionic framework above a panelled table tomb, and 2 kneeling figures (of Anne and John Norton). The middle of the south aisle has the Commandments in gold Gothic letters. Small wall monuments are in the south aisle, of 1766, 1797, 1809, 1816 and 1821. The tower contains a wall monument of 1731, above small brasses of 1615 and 1829, flanked by painted bequest panels of 1760 and 1822. There is a Royal Coat of Arms of 1706.