The Church of St James
THE CHURCH OF ST JAMES, THE SQUARE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1377794
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1967
- List Entry Name:
- The Church of St James
- Statutory Address:
- THE CHURCH OF ST JAMES, THE SQUARE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-07-31
- Reference:
- IOE01/12244/34
- Rights:
- © Norman Wigg. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1377794
- Date first listed:
- 14-Jun-1967
- List Entry Name:
- The Church of St James
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE CHURCH OF ST JAMES, THE SQUARE
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:
- THE CHURCH OF ST JAMES, THE SQUARE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Surrey
- District:
- Guildford (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Shere
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 07436 47781
Details
TQ 0647-0747 SHERE CP THE SQUARE
12/258 The Church of St James 14.6.67
GV I
Church. C12 Norman tower and north nave wall, C13 south aisle and chapel, lengthened in C14 with C14 chancel, restored in 1895 by S. Weatherley who added the vestry. Ironstone rubble nave and south aisle and west walls with large brick buttress to north west corner, mortar rendering on north wall. Rough-dressed rubblestone on vestry with rendered tower and sandstone buttresses with brick dressed knapped flint on porch. Plain tiled roofs with Horsham slabs over south aisle, wood shingled broach spire above. Nave and south aisle with fine tower to centre, chancel to east and porch to west end. Two stage plain tower with tall single bell openings in upper stage and round arched Norman two-light window to north side. C14 east window to south chapel/aisle - a large circle with four quatrefoils in two tiers. Main east window similiar with prominent ogee arch. Big curvilinear C15 north window to shortened "transept" and two lancets to south side of south chapel. C16 Perpendicular window to south aisle. Porch to south gabled with cusped bargeboards and further door up a flight of external stairs. Main door to west in gabled porch with wood mullions of oval section. Roll moulded west door surround with Petworth marble shafts carrying foliage capitals. Fine C17 studded and panelled door.
Interior: old roofs, mainly of scissor type truss with crown post in nave. Three-bay nave arcade with massive octagonal piers under square capitals. Crossing arches of differing dates: north arch and arch from chancel into south chapel early C14, all with three orders and attached octagonal piers under simple moulded tops. C13 arch between south aisle and chapel with Petworth marble shafts and crocketed capitals. Gallery across west end of church: wood panelled in classical style with fluted pilasters and dentilled cornice.
Fittings: north chancel wall - quatrefoil window and squint C14 - belonging to Anchorite Cell ? Piscina on wall and traces of wall painting on soffit of east window arch. C13 stone font with big central stem and four corner shafts under stiff leaf capitals supporting a bowl with three scallops to each side. Some medieval stained glass fragments - C14 glass in east window. Chancel fittings renewed since 1956 by Louis Osman.
Monuments: east wall, north side: To Thomas Duncombe died 1714. Stone, aedicular with broken pediment containing coat of arms and crude Doric pilasters. Grey ground to white inscription tablet with scroll over.
South side of east wall. Dedicated to four of the Duncombe children. Died 1668, 1677, 1678 and 1690. Aedicular with steep pediment/gable over. Blackstone tympaneum containing coat of arms, gilded crossed bones on pilasters, skull to base.
Brasses in chancel wall: To Robert Scarcliff, Rector of Shere, died 1412, and John Lord Audley, died 1491. Figure in armour with delicate linear design - restored in 1911.
PEVSNER: BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND, SURREY (1971) pp 455-7.
Listing NGR: TQ0743847781
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 288525
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I Rev. by Cherry, The Buildings of England: Surrey, (1971), 455-457
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 24-Jun-2026 at 16:21:59.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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