Church Of St James

The Church of St James is a parish church that dates from the 13th century to the late 15th century, with some remains from the late 12th century. The roof was renewed in 1984. It is built of coursed limestone rubble and has a lead and slate roof. The church consists of a chancel, nave with north and south aisles, a west tower, and a south porch.

The exterior features a 13th-century chancel with lancet windows on the side walls and a 15th-century square-headed low side window with two cusped lights and a transom. The east window was added in 1865. There is a blocked doorway in the north wall, likely from the 18th century, with an arched keystoned head. The south aisle has Perpendicular windows with two and three lights and square heads, with a 19th-century window to the right of the porch. The porch, dating around 1400, has a sundial dated 1764 in the gable, which was renewed in 1975. The south doorway, also from around 1400, features continuous mouldings. The north aisle has Perpendicular windows with two and three lights, a 19th-century northeast window, and a north doorway from around 1400. There is a stair turret in the angle between the north aisle and chancel, which leads to a former rood loft. The west tower, which has two stages, features a crenellated parapet and 14th-century bell openings, each with two lights. The west window is a 14th-century design with two lights and flowing tracery.

Inside, the chancel includes a piscina with re-used 12th-century zig-zag mouldings, and the sill of the adjoining window serves as sedilia. The chancel arch was rebuilt and widened in the 19th century. The south arcade, dating around 1400, has double-chamfered arches, octagonal piers, and large octagonal capitals, likely re-cut from the 12th century. The north aisle, from the 15th century, features octagonal piers and moulded arches. The plain arch of the 14th-century tower has late 12th-century responds with scalloped capitals. Notable fittings include a Romanesque tub font, an octagonal pulpit with an inlaid lozenge pattern dated 1584, and a 19th-century chancel screen with re-used Perpendicular tracery.