St James' Church, Poole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James Church |
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St James Church
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | stjameschurchpoole.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | James, son of Zebedee |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St James (Poole) |
| Diocese | Salisbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
St James Church is a special place of worship in Poole, a town on the south coast of England. It's a Church of England church, meaning it's part of the main Christian church in England. You can find it in the oldest part of Poole, right by the beautiful Poole Harbour. This church is still very active today, serving the local community and even having a big playgroup for younger children. Lucy Holt is the current minister, who leads the church services.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of St James Church
Why is it called St James?
The church is named after Saint James. Long ago, in the Middle Ages, Poole was a starting point for people traveling to mainland Europe. They were going on a famous journey called the Camino de Santiago, which means "The Way of St. James."
The Fishermen's Church
St James Church has always been connected to the sea. Poole is a port town, so many people worked in fishing and shipping. Because of this, the church is often called 'the fishermen's church' by locals. You can even see a cool weather vane on top of the church that looks like a fish!
Building a New Church
A church has stood on this spot for about 800 years. But in the early 1800s, Poole became very rich from trading with Newfoundland. Local merchants and important people decided to rebuild the church. They wanted it to be in the Georgian style, which was popular at the time. This is the beautiful building we see today. It's a great example of English Georgian church design. The church is so important that English Heritage has given it a special Grade II* listed building status. This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
Where People Were Buried
The church has a small churchyard with graves mainly from the 1700s and early 1800s. Later, the church used other burial sites. These included Hunger Hill and, after 1855, the new public cemetery in Oakdale.
The Legend of the Bells
St James Church has a long history of bell ringing. There's a local story about its bells from the time of Edward VI, a king of England. The story says that the Duke of Somerset ordered eight of the church's bells to be sold. The money from the sale was meant to help build defenses for Poole. Sadly, the bells were lost at sea while they were being shipped to Holland.
Gallery
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Interior
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Interior
