Church Of St James The Great

The Church of St James the Great is a parish church with a 15th-century tower that was restored in 1883. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1849, and a heated vestry was added in 1863, followed by a north aisle in 1887. The church is constructed of red sandstone with Ham stone dressing and features tiled roofs. It has a three-bay nave with a north aisle, extended eastward for the vestry, and a west tower. The tower is crenellated and has three stages with diagonal buttresses. It features a four-centred arch doorway with late 19th-century double doors, a square-headed hoodmould with leaf decoration in the spandrels, and a late 19th-century three-light Perpendicular window above two-light bell openings with Somerset tracery. A square, crenellated stair turret is located in the southeast corner. The entrance to the church is through the west door, which is flanked by two-, three-, and four-light Perpendicular windows with a lancet to the east of the chancel door.

Inside, the church is rendered, and the main feature is a very fine late 15th-century rood screen, which has been partially restored. An unusual large central opening was created in 1849 when the screen was moved to the west end of the church, where benches were added. The screen was restored to the chancel arch around 1908. The interior also includes standard Perpendicular piers, a mid-19th-century font, a stone pulpit, and bench pews. Thirteen medieval sculptured faces are located at the west end, possibly taken from an earlier church.