St James' Church, Stirchley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Stirchley |
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St James Church
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| OS grid reference | SJ 699 067 |
| Location | Stirchley, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint James |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 8 April 1983 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Georgian |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 1838 |
| Closed | 1975 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone chancel, Brick nave and tower with sandstone dressings |
St James' Church is an old Anglican church in Stirchley, Shropshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This church is a very important building, listed as Grade I, which means it is a super special historical site! The Churches Conservation Trust now looks after it. Even the land around the church, called the churchyard, is a protected historical area.
Contents
Church History: A Look Back in Time
This church is super old! It was first built way back in the 12th century (the 1100s). Around 1740, parts of the church, like the main hall (called the nave) and the tower, were covered with bricks. The tower was also made taller at this time. In 1838, a new section, called a north aisle, was added. This was for the workers from the local Old Park Ironworks, which was owned by Thomas Botfield. The church stopped being used for regular services on November 1, 1975. It was then given to the Churches Conservation Trust on March 30, 2006, to be preserved.
Church Design: What It Looks Like
Outside the Church: Walls and Windows
The church has a simple design. It includes a main hall (nave) with a section on the north side (north aisle), a special area for the altar (chancel), and a tower at the west end. The chancel is built in the Norman style, using squared yellow sandstone blocks. The nave and tower were built later in the Georgian style. They are made of red brick with sandstone details.
The chancel has round-headed windows, which are typical of Norman buildings. It also has one window on the south side with Y-shaped patterns in the stone (called tracery). The nave has two more round-headed windows, and there are even more in the north aisle. The tower has three main parts, or stages. At the bottom, there is a round-headed doorway. Above that, in the middle stage, is a large round-headed window. The top stage has round-headed openings on each side where the bells are. On top of the tower, there is a pointed roof shaped like a pyramid, with a decorative top piece (a finial) and a weathervane.
Inside the Church: Arches and Carvings
The most amazing part inside the church is the Norman chancel arch. This arch connects the main hall to the chancel. It has two layers of columns and three layers of curved stones (called voussoirs) that form the arch. It is decorated with cool carvings like chain links, flower shapes in diamond patterns, and two different types of zigzag patterns (chevrons). The tops of the columns (called capitals) are carved with shell shapes and leaves. Two famous architectural historians, John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner, said the arch was "quite incongruously ornate," meaning it was much fancier than you might expect for this church!
Inside, you will also find a gallery at the west end with a fancy railing (called a balustraded front). There is also a north gallery with seats arranged in rows, like in a theater. The pulpit (where the preacher stands), the reading desk, and the box pews (enclosed seats) all date back to around 1740. They were rearranged in 1838.
There is a special brass plaque inside the church that remembers the men from Stirchley who died serving in World War I. There are also four shields, three for men who died in World War I, and one for a man who died in World War II. The church also keeps a very large wooden "roll of honour." This lists the names of men who served in World War I and was moved here from another church, St Luke's Church, Doseley, when it closed in 1975.
The church has a set of three bells. These bells are very old! One was made in 1410 by John de Colsale, another in 1594 by Henry II Oldfield, and the third in 1664 by Thomas II Clibury.
More to Explore
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Stirchley and Brookside
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
