Description

TQ 861 589 BICKNOR

7/45 Church of St. James
26.4.68.
II*

Parish church. Norman C12, restored 1859-61 by Bodley. Interior
of very smoothly ashlared chalk faced externally with cement
render with closely-packed flint chippings and stone dressings.
Slate roof. Continuous nave and chancel, south aisle to nave
with west tower at end, south porch, north vestry, north aisle.
Exterior entirely C19. 2-stage west tower, with base canted
to west, and lighter flint chippings to 2nd stage. Pyramidal
roof. Bold quatrefoil belfry lights set in circles. Tall
west lancet. South porch on plinth. Chamfered 2-centred
arched opening with hood-mould springing from impost, apparently
-not fitted for door. Narrow original inner door to church
with 2-centred arched head, hollow chamfer and broach stops.
Door with stylised fleur-de-lys hinges. South aisle has single
cusped east window. Chancel has 2-light window with idiosyncratic
trefoil above, in south wall. East window with 2 quatrefoiled
and one trefoiled light in circles in head above 3 pointed
lights. North vestry: east door with square head and jambs
and moulding reminiscent of keel moulding. Stone continues
above door as flushwork 2-centred arch. Low square-headed
4-light north window. North aisle: north window of 2 round-
headed lights with trefoiled inner heads and
simple incised decoration linking
the two. West window under round head with 2 low painted lights
below a heavy sexfoil rose. Nave: Large quatrefoil light in
circle in gable with 2 lancets below. Blocked round-headed
tufa doorway, possibly inset in C19, with C19 stone surround.
Interior: 2-bay north and south arcades, and tower arch, with
round-headed arches and large rectangular piers with
scalloped imposts. Vestry door with large C19 fleur-de-lys
hinges. Low pulpit and low panelled screen between nave and
chancel, C19, with panels lightly carved in relief with medieval-
inspired tracery. Large pink and grey marble font similar to
that at Hucking. Crenellated tie-beam between nave and chancel,
with quatrefoil spandrels, bearing cross which reaches to apex
of roof with its arms spanning width of building, braced in
narrow diamond patterns up and down to shaft of cross, Tapering
tomb slab with remains of brass cross inlaid in west end of
south aisle. Plain rectangular stone wall monument with recessed
panel, in vestry, to Elizabeth Elward d. 1676.

Listing NGR: TQ8647859317

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17545199

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)