St James' Church, Longborough
Encyclopedia
St James' Church, Longborough, is the Church of England parish church
of Longborough
, Gloucestershire
, England. It is in the deanery of Stow, the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the diocese of Gloucester
. Its benefice is combined with those of St David, Moreton-in-Marsh, St Mary, Batsford, St Thomas of Canterbury, Todenham, and St Leonard, Lower Lemington. It contains fabric from the 12th century and is recognised by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
and chancel
. During the following century the west tower was added in Early English style, with a pyramidal roof, and the south porch was built. In the 14th century the chancel was refurbished in Decorated style. The south transept
, known as the Leigh aisle
, was added as a chantry
chapel in a more flamboyant architectural style than the rest of the church. A bellcote was built on the east end of the nave roof. During the following century the pyramidal roof was removed from the tower, and battlement
s, pinnacle
s and gargoyle
s were added to it. The windows in the nave were built; they are in Perpendicular style. Towards the end of that century, or during the following century, a tiled floor was constructed.
In the 17th century a tomb to the memory of Sir William Leigh was added to the south transept, and a turret clock was installed. In 1822–23, the Sezincote Chapel was built with a private door, for the use of members of the family living at Sezincote House
. This formed a north transept, with accommodation for the family at church services on an upper floor, and a vault for family burials below. It was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell
in Perpendicular style, with battlements matching those elsewhere on the church. In the 20th century the Sezincote Chapel, no longer in use by the family, was made accessible from the interior of the church, and the fireplace in its northeast corner was blocked.
with a stone slate roof. Its plan is cruciform
, consisting of a nave with north and south transepts and a south porch, a chancel with a vestry to the north, and a west tower. The tower has three stages. There is a clock face on the south side of the middle stage, and in the top stage are two-light belfry windows on each side. Above this is a string course with eight gargoyles, and around the summit is a battlemented parapet
with eight crocket
ted pinnacles. At the east end of the nave roof is an open bellcote. The church has a three-light east window, two three-light west windows, and a large five-light window in the south transept. Inside the porch are stone benches on each side.
on the north wall and a piscina
and a priest's door in the south wall. The former Sezincote Chapel in the upper floor of the north transept is approached by an iron stairway. The south transept has a reredos
in its east wall and in its west windows are fragments of medieval stained glass. Along its south wall are two tombs bearing effigies
. The tomb to the east carries the weathered 14th-century effigy of an unknown knight. The tomb to the west is the memorial of Sir William Leigh who died in 1631. On its top are life-sized effigies of Sir William and his wife Elizabeth, and two of their children. On its side are the figures of two sons and three daughters, all kneeling. The font
is octagonal and dates from the 14th century. The pews, choir stalls, altar and pulpit
all date from the 19th century; the pulpit is in Bath stone
. The stained glass in the two windows on the south side of the nave was made by Ward and Hughes
; the windows depict the Marriage at Cana
and Christ's Blessing of the Children. The two windows in the Sezincote Chapel commemorate F. B. Dugdale
, VC
who served in the Boer War and was killed in a hunting accident in 1902.
The ring
consists of six bells. The oldest two bells date from 1680, and were cast by Richard Keene of Woodstock. A third bell was cast by Abel Rudhall
of Gloucester
in 1739, and two bells are by Henry I. Bond of Burford
and are dated 1898. The sixth bell is by John Taylor of Loughborough
and dates from a restoration of the bells in 1987. The Sanctus bell in the bellcote was made by Bond and is also dated 1898. The two-manual
pipe organ
dates from 1903 and was made by Nicholson and Son of Great Malvern
. It was cleaned and overhauled by the same company in 2002.
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Longborough
Longborough
Longborough is a village and civil parish north of the market town of Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.The village is about east of the A424, around west of the Fosse Way and is on the Heart of England Way....
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England. It is in the deanery of Stow, the archdeaconry of Cheltenham and the diocese of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...
. Its benefice is combined with those of St David, Moreton-in-Marsh, St Mary, Batsford, St Thomas of Canterbury, Todenham, and St Leonard, Lower Lemington. It contains fabric from the 12th century and is recognised by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building.
History
The earliest record of the building is in 1192, when a priest was murdered in the church. The present church was built in the 12th century; initially it was a simple building consisting of a naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. During the following century the west tower was added in Early English style, with a pyramidal roof, and the south porch was built. In the 14th century the chancel was refurbished in Decorated style. The south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, known as the Leigh aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
, was added as a chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
chapel in a more flamboyant architectural style than the rest of the church. A bellcote was built on the east end of the nave roof. During the following century the pyramidal roof was removed from the tower, and battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s, pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s and gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s were added to it. The windows in the nave were built; they are in Perpendicular style. Towards the end of that century, or during the following century, a tiled floor was constructed.
In the 17th century a tomb to the memory of Sir William Leigh was added to the south transept, and a turret clock was installed. In 1822–23, the Sezincote Chapel was built with a private door, for the use of members of the family living at Sezincote House
Sezincote House
Sezincote is a British estate, located in Gloucestershire, England. It was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell in 1805, and is a notable example of Neo-Mughal architecture, a 19th-century reinterpretation of 16th and 17th-century Mughal architecture from the Mughal Empire.Sezincote is dominated by...
. This formed a north transept, with accommodation for the family at church services on an upper floor, and a vault for family burials below. It was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell was an English architect, archaeologist, and writer.-Life:Charles Robert Cockerell was educated at Westminster School from 1802. From the age of sixteen, he trained in the architectural practice of his father, Samuel Pepys Cockerell...
in Perpendicular style, with battlements matching those elsewhere on the church. In the 20th century the Sezincote Chapel, no longer in use by the family, was made accessible from the interior of the church, and the fireplace in its northeast corner was blocked.
Exterior
The church is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
with a stone slate roof. Its plan is cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
, consisting of a nave with north and south transepts and a south porch, a chancel with a vestry to the north, and a west tower. The tower has three stages. There is a clock face on the south side of the middle stage, and in the top stage are two-light belfry windows on each side. Above this is a string course with eight gargoyles, and around the summit is a battlemented parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with eight crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ted pinnacles. At the east end of the nave roof is an open bellcote. The church has a three-light east window, two three-light west windows, and a large five-light window in the south transept. Inside the porch are stone benches on each side.
Interior
In the chancel is an aumbryAumbry
In the Middle Ages an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the Eucharist. This latter use was infrequent in pre-Reformation churches,...
on the north wall and a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and a priest's door in the south wall. The former Sezincote Chapel in the upper floor of the north transept is approached by an iron stairway. The south transept has a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
in its east wall and in its west windows are fragments of medieval stained glass. Along its south wall are two tombs bearing effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
. The tomb to the east carries the weathered 14th-century effigy of an unknown knight. The tomb to the west is the memorial of Sir William Leigh who died in 1631. On its top are life-sized effigies of Sir William and his wife Elizabeth, and two of their children. On its side are the figures of two sons and three daughters, all kneeling. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is octagonal and dates from the 14th century. The pews, choir stalls, altar and pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
all date from the 19th century; the pulpit is in Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
. The stained glass in the two windows on the south side of the nave was made by Ward and Hughes
Ward and Hughes
Ward and Hughes was the name of an English company producing stained glass windows. They began in 1836 as Ward and Nixon.Perhaps the most prestigious stained glass commission of the 19th century, the re-glazing of East Window of Lincoln Cathedral, went to Ward and Nixon in 1855...
; the windows depict the Marriage at Cana
Marriage at Cana
In Christianity, the transformation of water into wine at the Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is the first miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John....
and Christ's Blessing of the Children. The two windows in the Sezincote Chapel commemorate F. B. Dugdale
Frederic Brooks Dugdale
Frederic Brooks Dugdale VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
who served in the Boer War and was killed in a hunting accident in 1902.
The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of six bells. The oldest two bells date from 1680, and were cast by Richard Keene of Woodstock. A third bell was cast by Abel Rudhall
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
in 1739, and two bells are by Henry I. Bond of Burford
Burford
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about west of Oxford, southeast of Cheltenham and only from the Gloucestershire boundary...
and are dated 1898. The sixth bell is by John Taylor of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
and dates from a restoration of the bells in 1987. The Sanctus bell in the bellcote was made by Bond and is also dated 1898. The two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
dates from 1903 and was made by Nicholson and Son of Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
. It was cleaned and overhauled by the same company in 2002.