Description

SP 01 SW COLESBOURNE COLESBOURNE VILLAGE

4/30 Church of St. James

26.11.58

GV II

Parish church. C12 with C15 tower and chancel; largely rebuilt
1851-53 by David Brandon for H. J. Elwes of Colesbourne Park.
Random rubble limestone with ashlar tower; stone slate roof.
Nave with north and south transept; west tower; south porch; and
chancel. C14 porch with moulded arch, buttresses and parapet
gable; C13 south doorway with hood moulding and decorated labels.
One square-headed C15 2-light nave window to left of porch with
simple rectilinear tracery head and hood moulding; on north side
another similar 2-light, and remains of blocked C12 window;
otherwise masonry much rebuilt. C14 south transept with 3-light
south window, and 2-light to east with reticulated tracery. North
transept is C19 rebuild to match the south. C15 chancel, rebuilt
C19; early C20 east window with geometrical tracery; below, set
into the wall, a glazed tile from the reign of Edward II depicting
the crucifixion; 2 small square-headed 2-light windows in south
wall. Two-stage tower with 2-light west window, diagonal
buttresses to lower stage only, and square stair turret projecting
on south side; 2-light belfry windows, screens pierced with
quartrefoils. Crenellated parapet with moulded string course
below; diagonal animal gargoyles at each corner; small crocketed
corner pinnacles. Interior restored in C19. 4-bay nave roof
with collar and arched braced trusses supported on follated stone
corbels; decorative struts forming 3-light opening above collar;
plain painted walls; pointed chancel arch on restored C12 square
piers with scalloped capitals; C15 tower arch; simple moulded
pointed arches to transepts. South transept has wagon roof with
brattished wall plates; trefoil-headed piscina in south wall.
North transept has C19 wagon roof to match that in south; squint
passage into chancel; elaborate C19 memorial to Susan Elwes on
west wall. C19 wagon roof in chancel; many memorial plaques to
the Elwes family on north wall. Octagonal stone C15 wine-glass
pulpit to south of chancel arch on tall narrow octagonal stem; 2
panels each trefoil-headed to each face, one of which is pierced;
entered up stone steps from chancel. Octagonal stone C15 font in
nave, on octagonal bracketed pedestal with shield decoration; one
quartrefoil panel to each face; wooden cover. The stained glass
to most windows dates from 1854 and is by Thomas Willement; the
north transept window is by Wailes, the east window dating from
1915. Stands in the grounds of Colesbourne Park. (D.Verey,
Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SP0040513412

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26625857

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)