Church Of St James

The Church of St James is an Anglican parish church, largely dating to the 15th century, with origins in the 13th and 14th centuries, and a late 19th-century restoration. It is constructed of coursed and squared lias stone with Ham stone dressings, with the tower roughcast. The roofs are slate, coped with large cruciform finials and some stone ridge tiles. The embattled, two-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses with offsets and fine, large gargoyles. It features two-light bell-chamber windows with tracery, a two-light window to the west on the ringing chamber stage, a large three-light west window with tracery, and a label with restored carved heads. A west doorway has good, scrolled ironwork, and a polygonal stair turret to the south is capped with a weathervane.

The four-bay nave has two three-light Perpendicular windows to the south, with labels featuring carved stops, and a restored lancet window. The north side contains a 13th-century lancet window and a blocked doorway, along with four large buttresses with offsets. A gabled south porch has buttresses, restored moulded inner and outer doorways, and a restored inner door with scrolled iron hinges and an early lock. Inside the porch is a flagstone floor and stone benches to each side.

The two-bay chancel has two and three-light traceried Perpendicular windows, and labels with carved stops. A narrow priest's door is located to the south. A small, 19th-century lean-to vestry adjoins the chancel. The interior has plastered walls on tile and flagstone floors. The nave has a 19th-century wagon roof, while the chancel retains an early wagon roof with carved bosses. An early ringing-chamber floor is located under the tower. The chancel arch is 14th century in style but appears largely 19th century. The tower arch rests on very finely carved grotesque corbels. Nave windows have rere-arches with angel carvings. A fine, probably 14th-century, tomb recess remains in the nave. A 15th-century screen, with good fretwork tracery, is located under the tower. An octagonal font sits under the tower. Six early pews remain in the nave, along with a 17th-century pulpit panelled with a carved frieze. Royal Arms are displayed, dated 1702. Other furnishings include 19th-century pews, choir stalls, a lectern carved as an eagle, two Jacobean coffin stools, two painted 19th-century texts in the nave, and a small, cased 19th-century organ. The sole stained glass is late 19th century and is located in the east window.