Church of St James
CHURCH OF ST JAMES
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1259966
- Date first listed:
- 11-Feb-1965
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St James
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JAMES
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-03-14
- Reference:
- IOE01/03367/16
- Rights:
- © Geoff Hodgson. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1259966
- Date first listed:
- 11-Feb-1965
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St James
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST JAMES
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST JAMES
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Worcestershire
- District:
- Wychavon (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Birlingham
- National Grid Reference:
- SO 93247 43159
Details
BIRLINGHAM
648/13/23 CHURCH OF ST JAMES 11-FEB-65
II Parish church with C15 tower, but the remainder by Benjamin Ferrey, 1871-72.
MATERIALS: Limestone walls, laid as snecked rock-faced stone except for the freestone tower, roofs of clay tiles and graded stone tiles.
PLAN: Aisled nave with south-west tower, south porch, lower chancel, north vestry and organ chamber.
EXTERIOR: The Perpendicular 3-stage tower has angle east buttresses, and diagonal west buttresses, to which Ferrey added the higher polygonal north-west turret under a stone spirelet. The west window is 3-light. Small pointed west and south openings are in recessed frames in west and south walls (former pigeon holes from its use as a dovecote). Square-headed 2-light belfry windows have cusped lights, renewed mullions, and louvres. The parapet is embattled. In the south aisle are 3-light and two 2-light windows under segmental heads. The north aisle has 4 similar 3-light windows and 2-light geometrical west window. In the nave west wall is a pointed doorway and a pair of 2-light geometrical windows under a traceried round window. The south porch has a stilted arch on foliage corbels. The south doorway has a continuous roll moulding. Chancel windows have geometrical tracery: a 3-light east window and two 2-light south windows. The double-gabled north vestry has round and 2-light geometrical north windows.
INTERIOR: The nave has 4-bay arcades of polychrome stone arches on octagonal piers. The nave roof has cusped arched braces on corbels, and 2 tiers of windbraces. The west window and doorway are framed by a rere arch with floor-length shafts. The tower arch is double-chamfered. The chancel arch has an inner order on corbels with early Gothic capitals. The 2-bay chancel roof has arched-brace trusses, behind which is canted ceiling with embossed ribs. The interior is ashlar faced, with alternating courses of pink and cream masonry to the aisle arches. Floors are Godwin tiles, richer in the sanctuary, with raised wood floors below pews.
PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: The ornate font has an octagonal bowl with a frieze of small quatrefoils, foliage to the underside and stem with moulded base. The lectern is a sculpted angel holding an open Bible. Both are by Theodore Phyffers. Benches have shouldered ends with moulded edges. Choir stalls are similar. In the sanctuary is a Gothic arcaded communion rail, and reredos with figures in niches, 1911 and probably by Gerald Cogswell. The chief memorial is to Rev Robert Landor (d 1869), who restored the church, a polished Madrepore marble credence under a segmental arch in the north chancel wall. A brass plate in the south aisle is to Robert Harewell (d 1603). In the south chancel wall is a metal plaque in relief to Robert Rashleigh Duke (d 1908), by Jones & Willis, incorporating a statue niche with a brass priest. Stained-glass windows are mainly by Hardman of Birmingham (1874-91). One south-aisle window showing St George is by A.J. Davies of Bromsgrove (1942).
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: In the churchyard is a free Perpendicular cross of 1911 by Gerald Cogswell. The separately listed churchyard entrance is the former chancel arch, much renewed by Ferrey (LBS no 442017).
HISTORY: The tower, the middle stage of which was formerly a dovecote, is C15. The remainder is 1871-72 for the Reverend R.E. Landor by Benjamin Ferrey (1810-80), architect of London.
SOURCES: Brooks, A and Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England: Worcestershire (2007), 149-50.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St James, Birlingham, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * For the surviving C15 tower, which is unusual in having incorporated a dovecote. * It is a well-designed Gothic-revival church retaining original character and detail, by an eminent Victorian church architect. * It has interior features of interest, including C19 monument and lectern.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 442016
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 20:48:18.
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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.