Church of St James

Details

DURSLEY SILVER STREET ST 7598 (north side) 5/59 Church of St. James GV I

Parish church. Mid-late C15; tower of 1707-9 by Thomas Sumsion of Colerne. Extensive restoration and alteration of 1867 by Thomas Gordon Jackson. Ashlar limestone; coursed tufa limestone rubble; clay plain tile roof. Nave with north and south aisles incorporating chapels; west tower, south porch and chancel with south vestry and organ loft. Perpendicular south aisle and porch, porch central to aisle. Crenellated parapet with floral panels having animal gargoyles and crocket pinnacles at corners. Low- pitched porch gable with 3 image niches having richly crocketed hoods over moulded pointed archway with C19 stud and plank gates; 2-light cinquefoil-headed casements to either side of porch serving upper floor chamber. Porch has completely panelled interior with lierne vault. Tudor-arched south doorway with plank and batten doors, possibly C15. Single aisle window with Perpendicular tracery either side of porch; diagonal offset buttresses to porch and aisle. South chapel has lower pitched roof but similar parapet to buttressed wall containing 3 earlier Perpendicular-traceried windows in tufa wall, one east facing. Elaborate finials to buttresses above fantastic animal gargoyles. North aisle largely rebuilt in C19 re-using existing fenestration in buttressed wall. Blocked moulded pointed-arched north doorway appears C14; 3 windows with Perpendicular tracery and to left late C14 window with reticulated tracery reset from another position. Ogee-headed priest's doorway with C19 door. West end of church has gable end of aisles either side of tower each with Perpendicular window; north aisle end rebuilt in bands of tufa and ashlar limestone. Three-stage tower is a good example of the continuity of the medieval mason's tradition into the early C18, Thomas Sumsion being a notable practitioner. Diagonal offset buttresses and bold continuous string courses. Pointed-arched west doorway; Perpendicular-traceried windows to ringing chamber. Five-panel modelling of middle stage with cinquefoil heads; niche with crocket hood to central panel on each face; moulded image shelf with bust below on west and leaf-carved feature on north and south exhibiting a classical influence. Underside of west niche hood has date 1709. Pair of 2-light belfry openings on each face of tower with quatrefoil-pierced stone screen above transome and blank panel below. Pierced crenellated parapet with openwork corner pinnacles based on those to Gloucester cathedral. C19 chancel has large east window with geometrical tracery and angle offset buttresses. Smaller geometrical-traceried windows on north side; single to south with gabled organ loft to left having 2 geometrical-traceried windows. Interior is limewashed. C15 five-bay north arcade and west 3 bays of south arcade have octagonal columns with moulded capitals, moulded bases, and simple chamfered-pointed arches. East 2 bays of south arcade have compound piers and have more elaborate hollow- moulded arches and may be earlier. Simple pointed tower arch with line of lower nave roof (before C19 rebuilding). Perpendicular clerestorey is C19 and original nave roof has been raised, and has moulded brattished tie-beam trusses with carved spandrel filling. Similar roofs to aisles, but open wagon roof to south chapel, chapel also having a now headless stone effigy on window sill. Triple sedilia with nodding crocket-enriched ogee hoods in north chapel with ogee-headed niche to left. Lofty High Victorian chancel with arch having attached sandstone shafts, stiff leaf capitals, and moulded arch with floral enrichment. Stone ribbing to walls and barrel vault; matching triple sedilia to east of organ loft and cinquefoil-headed aumbry in north wall. Choir stalls, pews and octagonal timber pulpit are all C19. C14 octagonal stone font standing on shafted Cl9 base has flower and shield panels to alternating faces and stands on baptistery floor of 1920 by W.H.R. Blacking. Many good C18 and C19 memorials include 2 above south doorway: William Purnell Gent: died 1743 has open pediment on fluted pilasters and armorial cartouche above inscription panel. To right tall Gothick tablet to Robert Bransby Cooper, died 1845 has buttressed sides and crocketed ogee top. At east end of nave adjoining chapel arch memorial to John Phelps, died 1755 has elaborate use of coloured stone with panel flanked by scrolls and surmounted by cartouche supported by curlicues. Large memorial on north aisle wall to Mary, wife of Edward Bloxsome, died 1840 has large sarcophagus in relief with hooded mourner and broken pillar. Stained glass of late C19 and early C20 include east window by Burlison and Grylls. Four windows in north aisle and another in chancel by Walter Tower of 1909, having his sign - a black castle superimposed upon a sheaf of corn. Two windows in south west corner of 1921 by Christopher Webb. The present tower is a replacement for the medieval tower with spire which collapsed on 7th January 1698/9. Costs of rebuilding were largely met by a grant from Queen Anne. Very little remains of the C13 and C14 church especially after the extensive C19 rebuilding. (A. Best et al, An Historical Survey of Dursley, 1979).

Listing NGR: ST7570698111

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

394461

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Best, A, An Historical Survey of Dursley, (1985)

End of official list entry

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