Details
ST 68 SE,
2/3
IRON ACTON,
HIGH STREET (south side),
Church of St. James the Less
G.V.
I
Anglican Parish Church. Late C14/early C15, substantial restoration, dated
over north door 1879, by Sir T. G. Jackson, chancel restoration of c.1930
includes work by F. C. Eden. Rubble, freestone dressings, quoins and chequers,
double roman tile roofs with raised, coped verges and saddle stones. West
tower, nave, north porch, chancel, south chapel and aisle. Mainly Perpendicular.
Square, 3-stage tower on plinth with large, diagonal, weathered buttresses,
those to north have ogee-headed image niches, that at north-east has a canopy
and finials, that at north-west contains statue of St. James, at south a half-
hexagon stair tower rises to the third stage; first stage has a small, pointed
west door below a defaced stellate hood, above that is a restored 3-light window,
hood stops are crude faces, on either side is a trefoil headed blank arcade,
shafts culminating in figures, faces, mainly blank shields and, in this case
2 plain crosses; this motif continues north and south where shafts stand on
face corbels, some chequers at this stage; second stage has slit lights at east
and west, below that to west is a single cusped light, at north a similar light
is flanked by 2 image niche with cusped nodding canopies below a plain clock;
third stage has 1 tall transmullioned, barely pointed 2-light window per side,
cusped herds, blank below transom, pierced shutters above, gargoyles below
parapet with trefoil-headed panels, at the corners buttresses are surmounted by
shafts with crocketed finials, at north a figure of a knight. 3-bay nave has
one clerestorey window per bay, each of 3 cusped lights under a square head just
below eaves which have a coved cornice and moulded rafter ends, at north is a
4-light square-headed window flanked by a polygonal rood stair turret with
single light and a buttress, these all stand to the east of the north porch,
rebuilt in 1879 with banded masonry, 2 storeys, gabled, buttressed with
embattled parapet and finials, 4-light window above a frieze of cusped panels
above a moulded, pointed doorway, at east is a single, quatrefoil light, at west
a polygonal stair turret. Gabled chancel has two 3-light square-headed windows
to north and a 3-light pointed east window surmounted by a cross finial.
Gabled south chapel has a similar east window with cruder tracery, 2 south
windows as chancel on a cill string which rises in position of former priest's
door; buttressed south aisle has 2 similar but taller windows and a moulded,
pointed door, tall pointed 3-light window at west, east gable surmounted by
octagonal, panelled shaft, sundial dated 166- above west buttress.
INTERIOR:
tall heavy tower arch has very large wave and hollow mouldings below fine
grotesque capitals, above 2 hollow mouldings flank a heavy chamfer, a fan vault
rises from figurative corbels to circular bell opening, there is a narrow
entrance to a tiny north chamber, reputed to be former lock-up; the nave has a
simple wagon roof and shows both entrances and rood stair at north and upper
rood niche at south; north porch has a moulded doorway, plank and batten
studded door and a stoup on a shaft, a carved fragment which may be of Saxon
origin is set in door reveal; low, unadorned chancel arch leads to chancel with
features from 2 restorations, wagon roof with bosses and embattled wall plate of
1930s as is the reredos, flanked by canopied image niches, by F. C. Eden, mosaic
flooring of 1879. 3-bay Tudor arch arcade to south chapel with simple, original
wagon roof, bosses and embattled wall plate, inserted painted timber screen,
arch as at chancel leads to south aisle with 3-bay arcade on octagonal shafts,
plain wagon roof on stone corbels rebuilt 1950s, remains of piscina at south-
east, sacristy inserted in south-west corner. Fittings: good benches, some
copies but substantially of C15/C16 with heavy linenfold ends, some dado
panels. Jacobean pulpit with tester, repositioned and restored below the style,
octagonal, arched panels, tester with strapwork and finials, rear panel reads:
ROBERT.HO/OPPER. PAR/SON. THOMAS/LEG. AND/MIGHILL. TU/CK. CHURCH/WARDINS./ANNO.
1624; 2-tier brass chandelier reads: GILES LORINGE WILLIAM PAYNE CHURCH WARDENS
1725. Memorials: Poyntz (south) chapel has 3 incised stones to the Poyntz
family, 2 recumbent figures a knight and a lady, C16 chest tomb with canopy with
finals which flank a pierced, ashlared frieze. 3 armorial bearings at rear;
in chancel a plain Jacobean table tomb and a good tablet, crude Tuscan columns
carry entablature below swan-neck pediment and arms, to Machin, 1716 and a
carved and painted table to Rev. Thomas Shute and wife, 1728; south aisle has
a small tablet with momento mori, John Trevitt, 1686, and another tablet similar
to and by the same hand as that in chancel, Wither 1720. Various C19 marble
tablets on slate grounds, one of 1830 by O. Greenway, one by J. Thomas of Bristol.
Glass: north-east window of chancel has mediaeval fragments.
(Source: D. Verey: Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean (1970)).
Listing NGR: ST6806783453
