St James's Church, Trowbridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St James's Church
St James's Church from the north-east
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Location	Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
History
Founded	1200
Dedication	James the Great
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1950
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Specifications
Spire height	160 feet (49 metres)
Bells	12
Tenor bell weight	24cwt-2qrs-18lbs in D
Administration
Parish	Trowbridge
Benefice	Trowbridge Saint James and Keevil
Deanery	Bradford
Archdeaconry	Wilts
Diocese	Salisbury
Province	Canterbury

St James's Church is a very important church in the town of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. It is the main Church of England church for the area. This amazing building was built in the 15th century. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very special historic place. It's also the most famous landmark in Trowbridge!

Some famous people are buried here. The poet George Crabbe was a rector (a church leader) from 1814 to 1832. Also, Thomas Helliker, a worker who was executed, is buried in the churchyard.

A Look at History

Early Churches in Trowbridge

The very first church in Trowbridge was probably made of wood. It stood on a hill overlooking the River Biss. Later, a stone church was built in its place. This stone church was likely built around the mid-900s.

When Trowbridge Castle was built in the 1100s, this early church was inside the castle walls. Old tombstones from the churchyard have been found. Some are now in the Trowbridge Museum. One is even in the porch of the church you see today!

Building the Current Church

The church we know today, dedicated to St James, was built outside the castle. This happened around the year 1200. It was built to serve the growing town of Trowbridge. The older church was taken down.

Changes were made to the church in the 1300s. A tall spire was added to the tower. John of Gaunt, who owned the land, might have rebuilt the chancel (the part of the church near the altar).

Around 1450, the main part of the church (the nave) and its chapels were taken down. The church was then rebuilt in a grander style. This new style is called Perpendicular Gothic. It took about 30 years to build. This is mostly the church we see today. Only the tower, spire, and chancel from the old church remained.

Challenges and Repairs

In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, the chancel got a fancy plaster ceiling. In 1540, a writer named John Leland said the church was "lightsome and fair."

However, in the 1600s and 1700s, many people in Trowbridge became Nonconformists. This meant they didn't follow the main Church of England. Because of this, the parish church was sometimes neglected. Many wealthy townspeople were Dissenters.

By the mid-1800s, the church was in very bad shape. The spire was leaning and held together with iron bands. Pieces of stone were falling off. The columns and arches inside were dangerous.

Restoring St James's

A church leader named Rev. J. D. Hastings worked hard to fix the church. The restoration was finished in 1848. He also tidied up the churchyard. The graveyard was closed in 1856. There are only 18 old monuments inside the church from before this big repair.

More repairs happened between 1926 and 1930. The top of the spire and other parts were fixed. In 1953, the Duke chapel was restored. It became a Lady chapel again.

Recent Events

St James's Church was named a Grade I listed building in 1950. It faced two big problems in the late 1900s.

• In May 1986, the roof of the nave caught fire. There was a lot of damage from water and smoke. Repairs cost £200,000.
• On January 25, 1990, a big storm hit Trowbridge. The top 20 feet of the spire blew off! It crashed through the church roof. Luckily, no one was hurt. The church was repaired again, costing £400,000.

The old rectory (the house for the church leader) was built in the 1500s. It was taken down in 1962.

Church Design

The whole church is built in the Gothic style. Most of it is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. This means it has large windows, tall Pinnacles (pointy decorations), and Battlements (like on a castle). It also has a very tall, thin spire. This spire is 160 feet (49 metres) high. It is the second tallest spire in Wiltshire, after Salisbury Cathedral.

The church was greatly repaired in the 1800s. But it still has some of its original medieval (Middle Ages) design. During the repairs, parts like the chancel, south chapel, and spire were rebuilt to look like the original.

The tall nave (the main part of the church) has a wide arcade (a row of arches). It also has a decorative plaster ceiling with winged designs. The aisles (side passages) of the nave go all the way to the tower. The tower has a special fan vault (a type of arched ceiling) below the bell room. The north porch also has one.

Church Bells

The Original Bells

The church tower first had a set of eight bells. These bells were made in 1800 by James Wells. In 1912, a company called Llewellins & James recast (remade) two of the lighter bells and the largest bell. They also rehung all the bells.

In 1923, they added two more bells, making it ten bells in total. These new bells were memorials to the soldiers who died in World War I.

A New Set of Bells

Over the next ten years, it became clear the bells needed to be rehung and retuned again. Thanks to money raised by the people of Trowbridge, all the bells were recast in 1934. This was done by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough.

They added more metal to the bells. This made St James's the first and only church in Wiltshire to have a set of twelve bells! The largest bell weighs about 24 and a half hundredweight.

Because the tower is small, the bells were hung in a new metal frame. They are placed on two levels. Five bells are on the lower level, and the other seven are on the upper level.

Famous Church Leaders

The famous poet George Crabbe was the rector of St James's Church. He served here from 1814 until he passed away in 1832.