Church of St James, Longborough, Gloucestershire

Description

LONGBOROUGH LONGBOROUGH VILLAGE
SP 1729
8/131 Church of St. James
25.8.60
GV I
Anglican parish church. C12, C13, early C14, C15. Sezincote
Chapel added by C. R. Cockerell 1822-3, general restoration 1884.
Coursed squared and dressed limestone, stone slate roof. Plan:
chancel with vestry on north, nave with south transept and
projecting porch on west, west tower. C12 chancel; diagonal
buttresses to south wall, C12 corbel table with billet decoration,
continuous string below windows. Two C19 two-light windows with
quatrefoils and stopped hoods either side of C19 plank door within
basket-headed surround. String runs down vertically either side of
door. Decorated 2-light east window. Headstone to Mary Merril,
died 1664 set against wall, lower left. North wall; two 2-light
windows as on south, one either side of C19 vestry, two battered
carved heads, either side of window towards east end. Patterned
glazing to all nave windows. East wall of vestry; C19 plank door
with decorative hinges within a pointed-arched surround with
stopped hood left. Part of hood with carved head stop right.
Blocked single light window with round head and fragment of
medieval grave slab, decorated with raised cross, right. 2 other
moulded stones one an unfinished hood mould in same wall. 2-light
C19 north window with tracery, stopped hood and patterned glazing.
Diagonal buttresses and clamp buttresses to Sezincote Chapel.
Various 2-light C19 windows with tracery on all 3 sides. String
below windows and embattlemented parapet. C19 plank door to
projecting west porch with hollow-moulded 'Tudor'-arched surround
flanked by engaged columns, simple raised decoration on stone
lintel over. Buttressed nave north wall with, two 2-light windows
with Perpendicular tracery and stopped hoods. String below
windows. Blocked round-headed north door left with round-arched
hood. C13 west tower with clasping buttresses and C15 third stage,
pointed slit light in west face, 2-light belfry windows with
octagonal columns with moulded octagonal capitals dividing lights
and stopped hoods. Fine embattlemented parapet with 8 crocketed
finials. String below with 8 winged gargoyles. Nave south wall; 3-
light window with cinquefoil headed lights, simplified
Perpendicular tracery and stopped hood left of porch. Porch;
pointed double-chamfered arched entrance with eroded head stops to
hood, niche above doorway with ogee arched head, mass dial right of
entrance. Solid stone bench seats along side walls within porch.
Simple C19 timber roof. C19 double doors with decorative hinges
within C12 round-arched surround flanked by engaged columns with
raised foliate type decoration. Lower half of former image niche
above. C14 south transept with embattlemented parapet, offset
diagonal corner buttresses and intervening buttresses. Fine 5-
light south window, 3-light east window, two 3-light west windows,
all C14 with reticulated tracery. Roof; flat and slightly stepped
gable-end coping, upright cross finials on porch and south
transept. C14 square stone bellcote open on 4 sides, upper margin
embattlemented with carved faces at each corner, pyramidal roof
with crocketed decoration.
Interior: C19 pointed chancel arch with 3 composite piers.
Chancel: Early English roll-moulded string below windows, pointed
reused former chancel arch of 2 orders with hood and engaged
columns either side and scalloped capitals in north wall, blocked by
organ and C19 door to vestry. Aumbry in north wall towards east
end, projecting image bracket in east wall, trefoil headed piscina
low down in south wall towards east end. Blocked lancet over
priest's door in south wall. Nave; wide C19 pointed-arched opening
to Sezincote Chapel, with panelled stone parapet above general
level of nave. Pointed arch with flat-chamfered respond and
moulded arch to south transept. Blocked segmental-pointed arch to
north door. Segmental headed arch over south door. C19 double
doors with scroll-moulded stopped hood to west door. South
transept; C14 reredos, in east wall adjacent to nave within
pointed-arched surround. Reredos comprises 3 cinquefoil headed
niches with crocketed ogee arch over each, projecting flat-
chamfered image plinths within each niche. Miniature
embattlemented parapet with incised arrow slits on each merlon
except below reredos where carved with 4-leafed flowers. Solid
stone seats below east window and window opposite. Simple C19
timber trusses with spine beam to nave. Simple C19 braced rafter
roof to chancel. C20 arched-braced roof to south transept.
Proof with decorative cusping to Sezincote Chapel. Flag flooring
to nave and chancel small area of medieval encaustic tiling around
base of pulpit bearing Boteler and Sudeley arms. Fittings; fine
early C14 octagonal font, adjacent to south doorway, niche within
each face of supporting column with crocketed decoration at apex.
4-leafed flower decoration on each face of font. C19 pulpit with
blind trefoil decoration and pierced arches at top, C19 pews and
choir stalls. C19 wooden altar. Simple C19 timber trusses with
spine beam to nave. Monuments: monument to John Scott, died
1795 of Banks Fee (q.v.), white marble on grey background with urn
and heraldic shield by Ricketts of Bath. 2 wooden benefaction
boards, black with gold lettering one recording an endowment by Mr
Thomas Baker of / Addlestrap/ dated 1701 the other an endowment
from Mrs Elizabeth Scott of Banks Fee dated 1838 . Plaque over
south door recording the reopening of the church after restoration
of the tower nave and south aisle and the installation of new seats
by Edmund Temple Godman of Banks Fee 1884. Recumbent ledger in
floor of nave near pulpit to Charles Shuckburgh died 1720 and his
son. Tomb of knight; C15 base with earlier life-size effigy on
top, in south-east corner of south transept, blind ogee arches with
crocketed decoration and engaged finials around base, life-size
figure of knight in skirt with almost crossed legs, dog at feet,
sword at side and head on pillow, supported by 2 finely carved
winged angels, above. Ledger in floor beside tomb to Elizabeth
Leigh, died 1694, daughter of William Leigh. Highly ornate
canopied chest tomb in south-west corner to William Leigh died 1631
and his wife Elizabeth, died 1664. Life size figures of William
and his wife recumbent on tomb with effigies of 2 children and an
infant. Figures of 2 sons kneeling at prayer desk and 3
daughters, also kneeling on side of tomb. 4 black marble
inscription plaques set into panelled stone screen forming backdrop
to tomb. Central panel surrounded by raised scroll work. Flat-
roofed highly ornate canopy supported by 5 black marble columns
with Ionic capitals. Sezincote Chapel; monument left of north
window to Harriet, Lady Cockerell (nee Rushout) widow of Sir
Charles Cockerell, died 1851, white marble with crocketed gable.
Monument right of window to Cecilia Rushout Rushout died 1869,
marble with central panel with carved figure of man, draped
sarcophagus in background, crocketed ogee arch over. Monument to
Sir Charles Cockerell (q.v.Sezincote House) died 1837 on east wall.
Canted limestone canopy with crocketed pinnacles and coat of arms
with motto / SAPERE ET FARI / at bottom, female figure kneeling at
bust of Sir Charles with female figure ascending in background
below. Monument by Sir R. Westmacott. Glass: fragments of reused
medieval stained glass in tracery of west windows of south
transept. Two medallions of painted Flemish glass in east window
one representing the return of the prodigal son the other the
presentation at the temple. 2 stained glass windows in south wall
of nave dated 1894, stained glass in Sezincote Chapel dated 1902.
History: in C14 the church belonged to the Abbot and Convent of
Hailes.
(David Verey, The Buildings of England; Gloucestershire: The
Cotswolds, 1979)

Listing NGR: SP1791129746

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St James

A Grade I Listed Building in Longborough, Gloucestershire

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