Diameter: 19.5" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by William Schep
Dove Bell ID: 56502 Tower ID: 21512 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Leckhampstead: St James
Diocese of Oxford
Church, 627425
https://stjamespcc.com/Overview
Grid reference: SU 439 759
The church of St James on Leckhampstead is by SS Teulon, and was consecrated on 1860. It replaced a medieval chapel, now demolished, that was located elsewhere in the village, and has some artefacts from that earlier chapel - the most significant of which is the Norman font.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
The church is open to visitors daily throughout the year. There is no dedicated parking, but onstreet parking is possible.
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Footprint of Church buildings: 228 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
A pre-Conquest church dedicated to St Edmund was located to the east of village at what is now Chapel Farm, Hill Green. This church was attached to the parish of Chieveley as a chapel from 1308. The old church was pulled down in 1859 when the vicar of Chieveley, John Robinson, paid for the building of a new church with 250 free sittings in the centre of the village. The new church was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon and incorporated some of the fittings from the old church. The foundation stone was laid on 3rd May 1859 and the church was consecrated on 30th October 1860. Original sketches by Samuel Sanders Teulon show that the church has changed very little from his original concept, the most notable difference being necessary alterations to reduce and stabilise the bell tower over the chancel, and to the cross at the west end of the nave, carried out during restoration in 1949.
Exterior Description
All of the external features of the building, with the exception of the 1954 west bellcote, date to Teulon’s original building. The result is a uniform series of wall and decorative treatments: the walls are in flint, with decorative banding courses in brick, as are the quoins and window dressings. Decorative limestone blocks are inserted wherever the banding courses meet a vertical dressing or quoin; the window tracery too is in limestone. All the roofs are in clay tiles.
The north elevation of the church is close to the north boundary and is characterised by the lean-to vestry directly beneath Teulon’s remarkable spheric triangular north crossing window. To the west of this are three two-light Pointed windows to the nave, with simple Gothic tracery but owing little to any medieval precedent.
The south elevation is that best known publicly, with the south porch as the only public entrance to the building and the only access to the churchyard passing by it. Like the north elevation, Teulon’s crossing and crossing window is a striking feature, with the small turret rising behind it.
The east elevation has some of the most striking of Teulon’s work at Leckhampstead, with an elaborate three light east window in the Perpendicular style framed by the steep chancel roof and the crossing gables beyond.
The only elevation that directly faces the main street through the village, the west end is dominated by Teulon’s four light nave west window, and by his striking decorative treatment of the wall. The window is of four lights, and in what would have doubtless been considered by contemporaries a modern gothic style - the mouldings to the tracery are simple, and not strictly following any single historic precedent.
Building Materials
Flint
19th Century
Flint
Interior
Interior Description
The chancel occupies the easternmost bay of the nave, under the crossing, as well as the eastern protrusion of the building that would normally be termed the chancel. The strident polychromy continues in the four bay nave, with diaper patterning to the west and north walls, and decorative roundels to the spandrels of the south arcade. The polychromy continues in the small south aisle , with the south wall a scaled down copy of the north, and the east wall patterning reproducing that of the chancel around its trefoil window. The east and west windows are of complementary trefoil design, adding symmetry to the aisle.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 439 759
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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