Farnham: St James
Overview
Grid reference: SU 844 472
This is a late work by Henry Woodyer who was responsible for quite a number of churches in the country of Surrey. It is faced externally with local iron sandstone called Bargate stone. The quoins and window surrounds are executed in a very pale stone, almost white in places, which contrasts with the dark expanses of wall-surface.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave of six bays with south aisle, chancel with north and south transepts, with a vestry beside the former.
Description of Archaeology and History
This is a late work by Henry Woodyer who was responsible for quite a number of churches in the country of Surrey.
Exterior Description
It is faced externally with local iron sandstone called Bargate stone. The quoins and window surrounds are executed in a very pale stone, almost white in places, which contrasts with the dark expanses of wall-surface.
All the windows in the church are lancets, some grouped in plate tracery. The west wall of the church has a dominating window of four lights. The two centre lights are of equal height, and the outer ones are equal but lower than the centre pair. All are set in the pale stone just mentioned as though in plate tracery and the whole composition is surrounded by a single dripstone. A string-course two-thirds of the way up the wall also forms the sill for the window, and the bell is set in a small trefoiled niche in the thickness of the wall at the point of the gable. A latin cross stands on the gable itself. An odd feature of the wall is the single buttress at the south-west corner, the reason for which becomes evident from the south.
The north wall of the nave has signs (in the relieving arches above the windows of the lower storey, and the provision of a clerestory where there is no building below to render such a feature necessary) that an aisle similar to that on the south side was intended, and the clerestorys correspond exactly on north and south. Each has six lancet windows (one for each bay) with a roundel of stone between each. These are carved with symbols such as the cross and IHS. They are set rather higher than halfway up the level of the windows. All the roofs of the church are tiled.
The south aisle does not extend as far west as the body of the nave, stopping one bay short to leave space for the main doorway. To make enough space for the door not to look squashed, the buttress mentioned above extends the wall a little way beyond the corner of the building. The doorway is in the form of a two-centred arch, set within an outer arch which is much higher and more depressed.
The south aisle has nine equal lancet lights, two for each bay and one for the furthest west. These are linked in a uniform feature by the simply moulded dripstone which is continuous,looping over each window in an interesting undulatingline. The window missing from the west bay can be found higher on the wall round the corner, but without a dripstone.
The corners of the south transept are emboldened by diagonal buttresses with gablets on each face. These only extend as far as a low stringcourse which runs below the window, and above it the corners are totally plain. Below the string-course on the south wall is a small door, and above it the two light window which has a small circular light in plate tracery between the heads of the main lights. The dripstone follows round the heads of the main lights and then the circular light, giving an effect something like a trefoil-headed window. On the tracery is a decorative whorl of stone leaves. High in the gable is a small lancet opening to ventilate the roof space.
As may be noticed, the church becomes gradually richer as the east end is approached. The east wall of the chancel is the richest of the church, the three lights of the east window set high in the wall to rise above the reredos. The string-course is stepped up twice to reach the necessary level, and the lights themselves are set within a triple arcade, the centre one higher than the others. The gable above is cross-banded with strips of the pale dressing stone and there is a cross of the Celtic type on the apex. The north side of the chancel is evidently not meant to be seen, and consists of a small vestry under a pent roof.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1877
The east window was presented in memory of Bishop Sumner of Winchester by his two daughters in 1877.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is spacious and quite grand, the reason probably being that it was built as a chapel of ease to the parish church for the specific purpose of accommodating the poor of the parish who lived in the east quarter of the town. Since the parishioners had by various means excluded them from the parish church, they seem to have made up for it by giving them a fairly impressive church of their own.
The nave is predominantly brown, the plastered wall surfaces painted a pale fawn to bring them close in tone to the stonework of the pillars, arches and window-surrounds. The floors of the alleys are tiled, Rs is a space inside the door where the font stands and another at the pulpit in front of the chancel arch. The pews stand on wooden floorboards and are of pale oak, modern classical in design and good.
The nave walls are divided by stringcourses set high and the clerestory windows are above. There is no aisle on the north side, but five lancets with broad splayed reveals and steeply sloping sills above a lower stringcourse. At the east end is a door with foliated label-stops, the doorway itself gently cusped in typical Woodyer manner.
The clerestory on the south side is the same as that on the north: one lancet light set within an arch in each of the six bays. Below the string-course there is an arcade opening into the five bay south aisle. The piers, with their capitals and bases, are circular in plan, the capitals being roll-moulded and the arches chamfered.
The roof structure of the nave has a powerful, near-mediaeval aspect, which is chiefly caused by the strong cross-beams. These carry the kingposts and from them also spring diagonal struts. The space between the rafters is whitened and the roof is further enhanced by arched wind-braces.
The chancel arch is carried on attached round columns with foliated capitals and the inner order of the arch itself is decorated with scalloped decoration; not quite prominent enough to be called cusping. The chancel beyond is dark, most of the light coming from the three windows in the south wall of the sanctuary. These stand in an arcade with round colonettes, the embrasures extending further down than the window openings to form two sedilia and a credence. The east window has the only stained glass in the church, and is within an arcade similar to that which surrounds it outside except that internally the arches are scalloped.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Plain, of oak
Reredos
Now only the central panel is in place, behind a gold curtain. The picture appears to date from the 1930s and represents the Epiphany, and the side panels had disciples in a boat on one side and the shepherds on the other.
Panelling
The panelling flanking the reredos is of four arches on each side with cinquefoiled heads and crocketted finials. Done in oak and rather thin.
Panelling
1939
The panelling on the side walls is much plainer and is a memorial of 1939.
Rail
The Communion Rails are of pale oak with turned balusters.
Stall
The choirstalls are of oak with traceried fronts and backs and foliated poppy-heads. The two priests' stalls are in the same style.
Organ (object)
1909
The organ is a two manual instrument of 1909 by Hunter and Son of 65A, High Street, Clapham. The case is in the same style as the choirstalls with open diapason show pipes in three flats, the centre wider than the flanking ones.
Screen
1901
A wooden screen stands at the chancel steps, about three feet high. Each side there are six little arches in a full-blown style verging on Arts and Crafts. It is a memorial of 1901.
Pulpit
The pulpit is a dull half-hexagon of wood in the same style as the stalls.
Lectern
1909
The lectern is a memorial of 1909. The front of the desk is a miniature version of the design of the screen and the pedestal is four struts bound closer at the top than the bottom.
Screen
1909
The screen to the south transept from the south aisle is of 1909 in memory of Ernest Finch Smith priest-in-charge of the church 1893-8.
Font (object)
The font is of marble, inlaid with alabaster, and is apparently copied from ancient examples in the area. The bowl has four sides which slope outwards and is supported on a central octagonal column with four small colonettes, one at each corner. The faces of the bowl are decorated with an arcaded design inlaid in alabaster flushwork.
Pew (object)
Mid 20th Century
The pews are in light oak, a modern interpretationof Georgian.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 844 472
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.
It is unknown whether 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 | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
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
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