Church of St James the Great

Details

ST 67 NE WESTERLEIGH C.P. CHURCH ROAD (south side)

4/320 Church of St. James the Great

G.V. I

Parish church. C13 origin (north side of nave), largely rebuilt C15, C17 and C18 alterations, chancel rebuilt 1879-81 by Ewan Christian, restored 1896 by Sedding. Pennant rubble, tower in squared rubble with limestone freestone quoins and chequers, stone dressings, stone tiled roofs with raised coped verges and cross finials to gables. West tower, nave, north porch, south aisle, chancel. North side of nave has Early English door and window, Perpendicular style. 3-stage tower has west door with pointed arch, with 2 wave-moulded orders and hood mould, 3-light Perpendicular window above with hood mould and relieving arch, 2nd stage north has small trefoil-headed window with pierced wooden shutters and hood mould, clock, 3rd stage all sides 3-light Perpendicular window, with pierced stone tracery in central light, pierced wooden shutters to outer lights, hood mould and relieving arch, polygonal stair turret to north east, diagonal buttresses, moulded string courses, embattled parapet with pierced stone tracery, fine gargoyles with rainwater chutes, pinnacles to corners and centrally to sides, turret has gargoyles, tall parapet, crocketed pinnacles and spirelet with weathervane. 4-bay nave has to north 3-light Perpendicular window with flat head and hood mould, C19 3-light pointed arched window with mask stops to hood mould, 3-light Early English window with trefoil heads to lights, flat head and hood mould; 2nd bay from right has north porch with fine studded door with pointed arch and hood mould, image niche above, 2-light trefoil-headed window to each side. 5-bay south aisle has tall west lancet, angle buttresses, buttresses to south, two 3-light windows with trefoil heads and hood mould, door with pointed chamfered arch between, C17 4-light window with ovolo mullions and king mullion, segmental heads to lights and hood mould, to right a pointed arched C13 priest's door and 3-light Perpendicular window; 3-light east window in late C13 style but not authentic. Chancel has 3-light east window, and two 3-light windows to north, all with hood mould with mask stops, rainwater head dated 1879. Interior: tower has fine framed ceiling with heavy moulded and stopped beams, upright members to right and left of door with scrolled carved tops, panelled screen to east with moulded and stopped jambs to frame, segmental inner arch with door, inscription recording installation of screen by William Prigge and Thomas Rudge, churchwardens, 1638; small triangular- headed door to turret, of one plank of wood, studded. Nave has upper west window with pointed arch to tower, lower section closed by C18 panelling for rear of west gallery, which has diamond-panelled front, fluted pilasters and modillion cornice. 5-bay south arcade of octagonal piers, pointed arches with 2 chamfered orders, richly carved image niche in spandrel over pier in nave; pointed arched north window has slender jamb shafts and hood mould; wagon roof with brattished wall- plate, moulded collar purlin and carved bosses, mostly C19 restoration. Fine pointed arched door to north porch door has heavy batten, decorative ironwork with fleur-de-lys strap hinges to outer side, porch has benches to sides, arched-brace and collar roof with moulded collar purlin, outer doorway has slender free-standing jamb shafts with moulded capitals, roll-moulded pointed arched head to door, hood mould with mask stops. South aisle has pointed arch to east chapel, slightly lower arcade of 2 bays between chapel and chancel, with C19 low stone screen, pointed chancel arch with C19 rebuilding of squint to right, C15 triple sedilia to right, chancel and aisle have roof as in nave. Fittings: C17 Norman revival font in nave; C15 vase shaped and panelled pulpit in nave with foliated heads to panels; unusually large Royal Arms of George II in aisle; 2 hatchments in nave recording benefactors of church; large piece of timber in nave with raised carving, the name Thomas Roberdes, probably one of the C17 Lords of the Manor. Monuments in aisle: stone tablet with pilasters, broken pediment and shield, to Mary Jones, 1661, with brass plate to same; stone tablet with scrolled pediment and shield, to Thomas Roberts, 1673, and brass plate to Thomas Roberts, 1655; brass plate with Latin inscription to Richard Hollister, 1659; classical marble tablet, to Edward Clent, 1735; stone monument with oval panel, draped curtains, cherub, partly painted gold, 1723, dedication illegible; stone tablet with draped curtains and cherubs, to Elias Dolling, 1728. Fragments of mediaeval glass in upper tracery of Perpendicular window in north nave. (Sources: Verey, D. : Buildings of England Gloucestershire : The Vale and The Forest of Dean. 1970).

Listing NGR: ST6995479654

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

400218

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.