Description

SX 45 NW TORPOINT ELLIOT SQUARE, Torpoint

3/332 Church of St James

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 2-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 2 weathered buttresses, central granite doorway,
probably re-sited from a late C17 building, with 4-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 2-light window to right
with relieving arch. The north side of the nave, of 3 bays, has 2-light upper
windows with reticulated tracery and relieving arches, weathered buttresses. 3
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 2 similar upper windows and weathered buttress.
C20 single storey extension. Attached to south, a 2-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 2-light
pointed arched window with C20 glazing, single light to stair to left; at first
floor, a 3-light window with cusped lights and lancet in gable end. Chimney at
junction with nave.
The chancel is on plinth, with 5-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 2-light window and stepped cill
string; to south, 2-light window with trefoil head and stepped cill string.
North chapel has gable end to east with tall 2-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 straD
hinges; single light with trefoil head above.
South vestry has south door with stepped string over, continued to east as cill
string for 3-light 4-centred arched window. Buttress to south and parapet and coping
returned to east, with gable to left with raised coped verges and cross finial, 3-
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 3 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 4-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. 4-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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26596231

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

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)