St James' Church, Audlem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Audlem |
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St James' Church, Audlem, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 659 437 |
| Location | Audlem, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St James, Audlem |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 January 1967 |
| Architect(s) | Lynam and Rickman (19th century additions) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 1856 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Audlem |
| Deanery | Nantwich |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St James' Church is a very old and important church in the village of Audlem, located in Cheshire, England. It is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building. This means it is a historic place of special interest and needs to be protected.
The church was first built in the late 1200s or early 1300s. More parts were added in the 1800s. Today, it is an active Anglican parish church. It serves the local community as part of the diocese of Chester. The church is also linked with St John's Church in Doddington and St Chad's Church in Wybunbury. You can find St James' Church standing proudly on a small hill in the middle of Audlem village.
Contents
History of St James' Church
We don't know for sure when the first church building appeared here. It is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, which was a big survey of England from 1086. People think the first church was given to a religious house called the priory of St Thomas in Stafford. This happened during the time of King Edward I.
After the "dissolution of the monasteries" in the 1500s, the right to choose the church's priest was given to the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. The church we see today mostly comes from the late 1200s and early 1300s. Later, in 1855 and 1856, architects named Lynam and Rickman made some changes and additions to the building.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St James' Church is built from red sandstone blocks. Its roof is made of lead. The church has a long main hall called a nave. This nave has a special upper level with windows, called a clerestory, and a decorated top edge like a castle wall.
There is a tower at the northwest corner of the nave. The church also has a north aisle (a side part) with a small chapel. There is a narrower south aisle, a chancel (the area around the altar), and a porch on the south side.
You enter the church through the south porch. To reach it, you walk up 26 steps arranged in a curve. The tower has a window on its west side, with two more windows above it. There is also a round clock. The bell tower windows have two parts and are covered with slanted slats to keep out rain. The very top of the tower has castle-like battlements and pointed decorations called pinnacles at each corner.
Inside the Church
The roof of the nave has strong, curved wooden beams. The holy table, where communion is served, and the pulpit, where sermons are given, are in a style from the 1600s called Jacobean. A beautiful two-level chandelier was given to the church in 1755. There is also a very old wooden chest from the 1200s inside.
Some of the church's windows have colorful stained glass. Two of these were made by an artist named William Wailes. One of them was put in in 1859 by Edward Barker to remember his wife. Other stained glass windows were made by Charles Eamer Kempe. These include scenes of the birth of Jesus from 1882 in the south aisle, and another window from 1893 in the north aisle.
There are also four special memorial boards. People believe these were painted by members of the Randle Holme family from Chester.
The church has a set of six bells. All of them were made in 1736 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester. They were rehung, or put back up, in 1891. The church's parish registers, which record births, marriages, and deaths, go all the way back to 1557.
The church's organ has two keyboards, called manuals. It was built by John Squire of London. It was repaired in 1973 by Hawkins and Son. In the 1990s, the organ was moved from a side chapel to the west end of the north aisle.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
- Listed buildings in Audlem
