Camberwell: St James
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 317 765
The church is a carefully detailed product of its time, in the Decorated style and somewhat reminiscent of the work of Gilbert Scott. The west front faces the road, the main doorway set under a big gablet sheltering a relief of Christ the Saviour which breaks the sill of the west window, and the window itself very large, of five lights with Geometrical tracery at each side of the doorway are small windows, a disposition which suggests that there might have been a west gallery, and buttresses separate the nave wall from the aisles, each of which has a three-light west window. The tower rises outside the north aisle, and has at the foot a doorway beside which is the foundation stone of the church (now virtually illegible).
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Six-bay nave with aisles and transepts, north-west tower and spire; apsidal chancel with north organ chamber and south sacristy.
Description of Archaeology and History
By George Low, the foundation stone laid on 19th June 1869 and the church consecrated on 27th June 1870. The builders were Dove Brothers and the site was given by J.L. Minet, the owner of the estate, who also paid for the building (about £8,000) and provided an endowment.
Exterior Description
The church is a carefully detailed product of its time, in the Decorated style and somewhat reminiscent of the work of Gilbert Scott. The west front faces the road, the main doorway set under a big gablet sheltering a relief of Christ the Saviour which breaks the sill of the west window, and the window itself very large, of five lights with Geometrical tracery at each side of the doorway are small windows, a disposition which suggests that there might have been a west gallery, and buttresses separate the nave wall from the aisles, each of which has a three-light west window. The tower rises outside the north aisle, and has at the foot a doorway beside which is the foundation stone of the church (now virtually illegible). The tower is not a well-proportioned design, and has the odd feature of no windows or even stringcourses to break the wall surface from ground level to the belfry stage. The only features are pairs of angle buttresses with gablets at the belfry level. The bell-opehings are each of two lights with Geometrical tracery, and the buttresses at this level are rather clumsily linked to become octagons supporting pinnacles. The parapet is broken by a gabletted clock face in each direction and the lucarnes of the spire are set very low between the pinnacles. The rest of the spire is smooth faced and pierced by a tier of trefoils and a tier of quatrefoils, with a small circlet of tiny gablets close to the top.
The aisles have two-light windows to each bay, the bays being marked by buttresses, and the clerestory simply has a row of circular lights to north and south, twelve pairs in all, interrupted by the abutting roofs of the transepts. The transepts, with three-light traceried windows in the north and south walls, are attached to smaller transeptal projections on the east side, that on the north an organ chamber and that on the south a sacristy. The apsidal chancel has two-light windows in each bay with trefoils as tracery and buttresses at the angles. Throughout the building all windows have moulded hoods terminating in carved label-stops, some foliage and some human heads. The great west window has the additional feature of nook-shafts carrying the inner order of the moulded arch.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1873
The five two-light windows in the apse show Scenes from the Life of Christ: - Gethsemane, Peter strikes Malchus, Ecce Hone, Christ Carrying the Cross, Crucifion, Deposition, Entombment, Resurrection, Angels at the Sepulchre, Christ with St. Mary Magdalene in the garden; 1873, by Clayton and Bell.
Stained Glass
1875
North transept, three lights, The Six deeds of Mercy.
Stained Glass
c.1881
The aisle windows show The Twelve Apostles, arranged in pairs.
Stained Glass
1903
The west window shows Christ in Glory surrounded by angels and saints, a great colourful blaze of Edwardian triumphalism, by Clayton and Bell.
Stained Glass
1881
South transept: Six Parables, by Ward and Hughes.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is more Scott-like than the exterior, particularly in the moulded arches of the arcades. These stand on cylindrical piers with moulded capitals and bases. The walls are plastered and have recently been whitewashed to good effect, for the interior of the church is quite dark as a result of stained glass in almost every window. The roof has tie-beams to each bay with arch braces supported on Corbels at the level of the clerestory sills, the tie beans carrying king posts and struts. The spandrels have small pierced trefoils which lighten the design a little. The aisle roofs have in the spandrels big cut-out sexfoils which are considerably more remarkable. At the west end is half a bay of solid wall, again perhaps evidence of a west gallery, and this is pierced to north and south by small arches, the end bay of the north aisle having once served as a baptistery. The floors throughout are tiled and the pews stand on timber platforms.
At the east end of each aisle is a double arch with the central trumeau in the form of a single shaft carrying a foliated capital, the wall above being pierced with a pointed sexfoil. The north transept is otherwise open to the aisle but that on the south is screened off with oak screens to form a small chapel facing southwards. The chancel arch has an outer moulded order which reaches to the floor and an inner moulded order resting on small attached shafts carried by corbels carved as angels bearing scrolls. More angels appear as corbels for the roof timbers in the chancel, and an arch on the north side opens to the organ chamber (which also communicates with the north transept). A door on the south leads to the sacristy. The chancel has quite recently been re-arranged, with an altar now free-standing and the communion rails placed at the step under the chancel arch. The original altar table at remains against the east wall, with a modern reredos, and the lower parts of the flanking walls have simple two-bay blind arcading with a recessed trefoil in the spandrel between the arches. The timbers of the roof are arranged to give an impression of a hammerbeam roof, but the structure is not in fact based on this principle.
Fixtures and fittings
Reredos
The reredos is quite modern, a plain panel with small carved wood and two shields of arms.
Pulpit
c.1870
The pulpit is of stone, five sides of an octagon with figures of Christ and the Four Evangelists recessed in pointed quatrefoils.
Lectern
Brass eagle.
Font (object)
The font is of stone, plain on a moulded base.
Organ (object)
1881
The organ is a three manual instrument by J.W. Walker.
Rail
Communion rails with painted iron uprights with leaf brackets and brass telescopic rail.
Clock
Turret clock by Gillett of Croydon.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 317 765
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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