Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 2 April 2025 to amend the name and address and reformat the text to current standards
SX 45 NW
3/332
TORPOINT
SALAMANCA STREET
Church of St James the Greater
(Formerly listed as Church of St James, ELLIOT SQUARE)
GV
II
Parish church. 1817, built as a chapel of ease for Torpoint, then in Antony parish. Chancel and alterations of 1885 by William White. C20 addition to south. Early C19 building in slatestone rubble with granite dressings; slate roof with gable ends. 1885 building in snecked sandstone rubble with limestone dressings; slate roofs with crested ridge tiles and raised coped verges with cross finials.
The original building consisted of nave only; in 1885 a chancel was added to the east end with north chapel and south vestry, and a two storey addition was made to the south west for church rooms. The original building had windows in Gothick style, of which one survives; the later C19 building in Early English style. The nave has gabled west end with two weathered buttresses, central granite doorway, probably re-sited from a late C17 building, with four-centred arch, moulded surround and spandrels, hood mould, C19 double doors and hood over. Rising from the centre of the door, another buttress, which rises to a central niche with ogee hood, pilasters and acorn finial; cross finial to gable. Lighting the gallery, a cusped lancet to right and left set in earlier window openings with relieving arches. At ground floor to left a single light set in a bay with relieving arch over and two-light window to right with relieving arch. The north side of the nave, of three bays, has two-light upper windows with reticulated tracery and relieving arches, weathered buttresses. Three blocked lower window openings.
Bellcote at east end with pyramidal roof and weathervane, clock set on gable end to east below bellcote, slate-hung upper gable end. The south side of the nave has two similar upper windows and weathered buttress. C20 single storey extension. Attached to south, a two storey addition of the late C19 with door and single light at ground and first floor to west; the corner wall is chamfered off with hipped roof over and single light at first floor. The gable end to south has pointed arched doorway, blocked with a C20 window inserted, and two-light pointed arched window with C20 glazing, single light to stair to left; at first floor, a three-light window with cusped lights and lancet in gable end. Chimney at junction with nave.
The chancel is on plinth, with five-light pointed arched east window, with taller central light and hexfoil over outer lights, blind panelled lower section and cill string: cross finial to gable. To north, similar two-light window and stepped cill string; to south, two-light window with trefoil head and stepped cill string. North chapel has gable end to east with tall two-light window and cill string. buttresses to north and paired cill string with quatrefoils in limestone between strings, porch to right with ridged stone roof and pointed arched door with strap hinges; single light with trefoil head above. South vestry has south door with stepped string over, continued to east as cill string for three-light four-centred arched window. Buttress to south and parapet and coping returned to east, with gable to left with raised coped verges and cross finial, three-light window with cusped lights and pointed arch and cill string.
Interior: the west door leads to internal C19 panelled porch. The nave has plastered walls and polychromatic panelled ceiling of circa 1930. Panelled west gallery on plain piers with frieze of quatrefoils set in diamonds. Gallery has a recessed curve to centre and formerly extended further to north and south. To south west, one window of the 1817 building survives, now internal, of three-lights, with cusped heads and upper tracery, in cast iron. To north and south, recesses for former windows which lit the area under the gallery.
The chancel has limestone dressings; a four-centred arch to chancel and narrower arch to north chapel, one bay to west end of chancel and chapel and then similar arch creating the effect of a tower crossing; similar arch between chancel and chapel to north, all arches have corbelled and chamfered inner arch. Pointed arched east door to south vestry. Chancel has the hood mould of the north arch continued as string course at cill level for north window, extended to south window. Four bay chancel roof of arched-braces rising from corbels, with one row of purlins and upper collar, ceiled. Pointed arched south door to vestry; north aumbry with cusped head and gabled hood with pinnacles and central trefoil finial. The western bay of the chancel has similar roof; narrower arch to vestry, closed by C20 glazing.
Fittings: late C19 wooden pulpit and plain bench pews in nave. Octagonal limestone font in nave. Late C19 reading desk in nave with poppy head ends to lectern.
Listing NGR: SX4392955082
