St James' Church

Nave approximately 12.5 m by 5.5 m wide with a high pointed vault. Although pointed its Norman character is indicated by a surviving high-level round-headed window in the S side, partly blocked by an arch of the subsequently formed S arcade. The original chancel arch was low and narrow and the present arch, though larger, imitates the squat, low-springing form of the nave arcades. Above it, seen from the nave, are several Rood-Loft corbels and a high level ladder hook. Chancel 5.5 m by 5 m, built c.1250 on older foundations. Its axis is markedly inclined to the right relative to the nave (compare Castlemartin Church). A C14 de Barri effigy repositioned on the N side. Door to adjacent vestry. Arch to tower. A blocked Priest’s door in the S wall. C19 sedilia. E window of 3 lancets. The N and S transepts added c.1250. The S Transept now contains the organ. The N transept has a high level window in the gable, now converted to 2 lights. The Tower was added in the angel between the N transept and the chancel. It is small in area, 4.6 m square internally, and may not originally have been intended to be so high. Its entrance is by a loft-level doorway in the N transept. The N aisle is 18.5 m by 4.5 m. The external doorway in the N wall is blocked. A door seen internally in the N wall leads to stairs in the wall thickness leading to the resited Rood-Loft and indirectly to the tower. A carved label mould terminal of this doorway is of a style dated to the C13. There are traces of red and blue paint on the Rood-Loft timbers. The chantry chapel, which is an extension of the N transept, originally housed the de Barri effigy which is taken to be John de Barri, d.1324. This chapel is unusually roofed with vaulting on close set thick transverse ribs. In 1960 this part was formed into a Memorial Chapel with a new timber screen. S aisle 16 m by 2 m, also vaulted but beneath a lean-to roof. A wide squint between the S transept and the nave enables the altar to be seen from the S entrance door. Water-stoup recess beside porch door. Porch at S with a high vault, with surviving mediaeval paintings in floral patterns within panels. The church has 2 fonts, one small and octagonal, on a modern base. The other a font of Norman type, presently in use. This has been re-tooled overall in modern times. At rear of nave are 2 blocks of pews probably predating the re-pewing of c.1865. In the N aisle is a Celtic-cross war memorial.

An irregular grouping dominated by the 2 masses of the tower and the N aisle linked by the stepping-down projection of the N transept and the chapel. Generally local limestone rubble masonry with some local sandstone, as in the tower. Slate roofs with gable parapets. Finial crosses. Bellcote at the E end of the N aisle. Slender tower of local type, with 4 storeys and crenellated parapet on corbels, but without the usual stairs turret. Three large belfry lights with stone louvres to N (towards village), single lights to the E and W and none towards the S. Lancet at ground storey facing N. Blocked W door of nave with equilateral arch formed to 2 large curved stones. Blocked door of N aisle also an equilateral arch but formed of voussoirs. The very low height of these archways shows the outside ground level has risen considerably (1-2 m).