Diameter: 29" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Worcester foundry
Dove Bell ID: 53282 Tower ID: 19712 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Dudley: St James the Great
Diocese of Worcester
Church, 642202
http://cofedudley.weebly.com/This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2024-11-14)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: SO 936 905
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
7-bay aisled nave, 2-bay chancel flanked by organ chamber and vestry, west tower. Crypt.
Dimensions:
Nave estimated to be c 23m (75ft) x 5m (16,6ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 465 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Dudley is a historic town with the famous 11th century and later castle at one end, which saw industrial expansion from the 19th century and decline in the late 20th. The church was built in 1840 on a new site.
The architect was William Bourne and the builder John Holland, who also built St John's in the same year on the other side of the town centre. Both were chapels-of-ease to St Thomas, and later raised to parish status as the town developed around the new cores of Eve Hill and Kate's Hill flanking the old town. The churches were built on land given by the Earl of Dudley, then Lord Ward. The money was raised partly by private subscriptions, partly by donations from the Worcester Society for erecting churches and from the Church Building Commissioners.
The church was refurnished in 1869-70. The large crypt of the church has recently been developed. St James was listed Grade II in 1996. Dudley Town Centre Conservation Area was designated as it now is on 17th March 2005, between the two churches.
Exterior Description
The church is designed in the Early English style, the defining feature lancets. Externally the architecture is symmetrical and simple. The west tower is of three stages with a flat roof, framed by angle buttresses with stepped buttresses, the lower stage with a pointed doorway, above this a single tall lancet, the belfry stage has twin louvred lancet openings in each face. Plain parapet. The tower is flanked by the steeply sloping ends of the aisles, with one large lancet, an original motif. Coped and shouldered with plain cross finials throughout.
The nave is higher than the chancel, and has a narrow clearstorey with paired lancets to each bay. Each nave bay has a single tall lancet between slender buttresses of two weatherings, and each clearstorey bay has a pair of quatrefoil openings. There is a single lancet in the eastern bay of the sanctuary on both sides, and a further one to light the lean-to organ chamber and vestry which flank the chancel. The east window is a triple stepped lancet, angle buttresses of two weatherings.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 7-bay aisled
Chancel
19th century 2-bay
Organ (component)
19th century organ chamber
Vestry
19th century
Tower (component)
19th century west
Crypt
19th century
Building Materials
Brick
19th century
Sandstone
19th century facing
Stone
19th century dressings
Welsh Slate
19th century roof
Clay
19th century serrated ridge tiles
Interior
Interior Description
Inside the chuch is as little changed as it is outside since the insertion of the galleries, with the exception of plastered walls painted blue and white (over heraldic decoration to the gallery fronts), the chancel buff.
Looking up there are galleries on all sides with panelled fronts with inset quatrefoils, carried on cast-iron brackets, containing raked rows of box pews. There is a painted triptych retable, now in the west gallery. The plain pointed arcades have a continuous hood-mould and are carried on thin columns with annulets and heavily carved floriate capitals, somewhat reminiscent of French Gothic. The roof is arch-braced, taken down to carved corbels. Blue carpet floors. The nave is tightly packed with identical pitched pine bench pews with simple moulded ends and an inset quatrefoil.
Looking east, there is a filigree wrought iron chancel screen within the double-chamfered pointed chancel arch, on corbel colonnettes. There are simple pointed doorways in the walls to each side. In the chancel, the organ takes up the western bay on the north side, with nicely decorated pipes and Gothic architectural case.
The choir stalls have pierced lancet fronts, and there is a tripartite stone sedilie in the south wall. The floor is of encaustic tiles, rising by three steps to the stone altar and reredos which provides a focus, flanked on all sides by stained glass windows. Arch-braced roof with collar. The tunnel-vaulted crypt underneath has been modernised and whitewashed and provides valuable space.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century oak table
Reredos
19th century plain wooden panelling behind altar, replacing triptych
Pulpit
19th century the pulpit is of Caen stone and marble, circular with figures in relief within niches, integral stone steps, a fine piece
Lectern
19th century wood, plain
Font (component)
19th century stone font, octagonal bowl intricately carved, presented in memory of Captain Magens J C Browne by his father the Rev James Caulfield Browne, Vicar of Dudley
Stained Glass (window)
19th century Eeast window depicts St James in the middle and the Passion in the side lights, all as vignettes. The glass is in memory of John Roberts, a noted surgeon, who died in 1850. The window was presented by his widow. Small modern window with Virgin & child.
Plaque (component)
20th century Next to the chancel arch is a large pedimented tablet in white marble in memory of Rev Holland, died 1909 and his wife, died 1907. Several brass plaques.
Organ (component)
19th century The original 1840 organ no longer used.
Rail
19th century oak rails with brass leafed standards
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers from 1840.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SO 936 905
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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