Denchworth : St James

About this church

A small part of the south nave wall is of 12thcentury date, but in the 13th century the nave appears to have been rebuilt and lengthened towards the west, and the north tower and north chapel were apparently added during the same century. In the 14th century the south transept was built, and in the 15th century the chancel was rebuilt with the north chapel and perhaps the outer walls of the south transept. The thick abutments on either side of the chancel arch may perhaps indicate the existence of an early cruciform plan, but there is no direct evidence of this. The church has been restored in modern times and the south porch added.


The chancel has a three-light 15th-century east window with restored tracery, and in the north wall is a blocked doorway with a low-side window east of it, also blocked. Further west is a four-centred arch of narrow span opening into the eastern part of the north chapel, now an organ chamber. In the south wall are two 15th-century windows each of two lights with a square head, and between them is a priest’s doorway with a pointed head of the same date. The early 15th-century chancel arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders now distorted; the responds have moulded capitals, but the bases are buried.


In the north wall of the nave is a pointed arch of two chamfered and recut orders with shafted responds having moulded bell capitals apparently of late 13thcentury date. Further west is a blocked north doorway probably of the 15th century and a blocked doorway formerly opening into the tower. In the south wall is a 14th-century pointed arch of two orders opening into the south transept, and further west is the much-restored 12th-century south doorway. It is of one semicircular order with moulded imposts and arch and a billeted label. Beyond it is a two-light square-headed window of the 15th century. The west window is of three uncusped lights in a pointed head, probably of the 16th century. The west wall has two low 13th-century buttresses.

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