St James' Church, Longborough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Longborough
St James' Church, Longborough, from the south
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OS grid reference	SP 179 297
Location	Longborough, Gloucestershire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St James, Longborough
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	25 August 1960
Architectural type	Church
Administration
Parish	Longborough with Sezincote
Deanery	Stow
Archdeaconry	Cheltenham
Diocese	Gloucester
Province	Canterbury

St James' Church is a very old and important church in Longborough, Gloucestershire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is part of a group of churches that includes St David in Moreton-in-Marsh and St Mary in Batsford. St James' Church has parts that are over 800 years old, built in the 12th century! It is so special that it is officially listed as a Grade I building, meaning it's a very important historical site.

History of St James' Church

The church has a long and interesting story, with many changes over the centuries.

Early Beginnings

• First Records: The earliest mention of the church is from 1192.
• Original Building: The main part of the church, called the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (near the altar), was built in the 12th century. It was a simple building back then.

Adding New Parts

• West Tower: In the 13th century, a tall tower was added at the west end of the church. It had a pyramid-shaped roof.
• South Porch: A porch was also built on the south side of the church during this time.
• Chancel Updates: In the 14th century, the chancel was updated with new designs.
• Leigh Aisle: A new section, known as the south transept or Leigh aisle, was added. This was a special chapel for prayers.
• Bellcote: A small structure for a bell, called a bellcote, was built on the east end of the nave roof.
• Tower Changes: In the 15th century, the pyramid roof was removed from the tower. Instead, battlements (like castle walls), pinnacles (small pointy towers), and gargoyles (stone carvings of creatures) were added.
• New Windows: The windows in the nave were also updated in the 15th century. A new tiled floor was put in around the same time.

Later Additions and Changes

• Leigh Tomb: In the 17th century, a tomb for Sir William Leigh was placed in the south transept. A clock was also installed.
• Sezincote Chapel: From 1822 to 1823, the Sezincote Chapel was built. It had a private door for a local family from Sezincote House. This chapel formed a north transept, with a room upstairs for the family during services and a burial vault below. It was designed to match the church's style.
• Modern Access: In the 20th century, the Sezincote Chapel was opened up to the rest of the church. A fireplace in the chapel was also blocked up.

Architecture and Features

St James' Church is built from limestone with a stone slate roof. It has a cross shape, with the nave, north and south transepts, a south porch, a chancel, a vestry, and a west tower.

Outside the Church

• The Tower: The tower has three levels. There's a clock on the south side. The top level has two-light windows for the bells. Above this, there's a stone band with eight gargoyles. The very top has a battlemented wall with eight pointy pinnacles.
• Bellcote: At the east end of the nave roof, you can see an open bellcote.
• Windows: The church has a large three-light window at the east end and two three-light windows at the west end. The south transept has a very big five-light window.
• South Porch: Inside the south porch, there are stone benches on both sides.

Inside the Church

• Chancel Features: In the chancel, there's a small cupboard called an aumbry on the north wall. On the south wall, there's a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and a priest's door.
• Sezincote Chapel: You can reach the upper floor of the former Sezincote Chapel by an iron staircase.
• South Transept: The south transept has a decorated screen called a reredos on its east wall. Some of the west windows have small pieces of old stained glass.
• Tombs and Effigies: Along the south wall of the transept, there are two tombs with effigies (sculpted figures).
  • One tomb has a weathered 14th-century figure of an unknown knight.
  • The other tomb is for Sir William Leigh, who died in 1631. On top of his tomb are life-sized figures of Sir William, his wife Elizabeth, and two of their children. On the side, there are figures of two sons and three daughters, all kneeling.
• Font and Furniture: The baptismal font is eight-sided and dates from the 14th century. The pews (church benches), choir stalls, altar, and pulpit (where sermons are given) are from the 19th century. The pulpit is made of Bath stone.
• Stained Glass: The two windows on the south side of the nave have beautiful stained glass made by Ward and Hughes. They show scenes like the Marriage at Cana and Christ's Blessing of the Children.
• Sezincote Chapel Windows: The two windows in the Sezincote Chapel remember F. B. Dugdale, who received the Victoria Cross for bravery in the Boer Wars and died in 1902.

Bells and Organ

• Church Bells: The church has a set of six bells.
  • The two oldest bells are from 1680.
  • A third bell was made in 1739.
  • Two more bells are from 1898.
  • The sixth bell was added in 1987.
• Sanctus Bell: A smaller bell in the bellcote, called the Sanctus bell, is also from 1898.
• Pipe Organ: The church has a two-manual pipe organ from 1903. It was cleaned and repaired in 2002.

Churchyard Features

• Historic Monument: In the churchyard, there is a monument for Samuel Rowsham and Elizabeth (?). It dates from the late 1700s to early 1800s and is also a listed building.
• War Grave: To the west of the church, there is a war grave for a soldier from the Royal Artillery who died in World War II.