St James' Church, West Derby, Liverpool Explained

St James' Church, West Derby
Pushpin Map:Merseyside
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Map Caption:Location in Merseyside
Location:Mill Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, Merseyside
Country:England
Coordinates:53.4275°N -2.9135°W
Osgraw:SJ 394 927
Website:St James, West Derby
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Heritage Designation:Grade II
Designated Date:19 June 1985
Architect:Edward Welch,
W. and J. Hay
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking:1845
Completed Date:1876
Materials:Sandstone
Parish:St James, West Derby
Deanery:West Derby
Archdeaconry:Liverpool
Diocese:Liverpool
Vicar:Ven .John Day
Reader:Eva Pritchard, Richie Harley
Warden:Sue Dalkin

St James' Church is in Mill Lane, West Derby, a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It was an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of West Derby, the archdeaconry of Liverpool, and the diocese of Liverpool until 23 June 2019 when responsibility was handed over to the Indian Orthodox Church. Its benefice is united with that of St Mary, West Derby. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.

History

The church was designed by Edward Welch and built in 1845–46. The original short chancel was replaced by a larger one by W. and J. Hay in 1875–76, and at the same time a south organ chamber, a north vestry, and a semicircular structure to the south of the tower, providing a staircase to the tower and new steps to the gallery, were added. Originally the church has a slim broach spire, but this became unsafe, and was demolished and replaced by a low pyramidal roof in 1970. In 1994 the interior of the church was re-ordered, the pews were removed, and a wall was inserted to form a parish hall at the rear.

Architecture

Exterior

St James' is orientated north–south; in the following description ritual orientation is used. The church is built in red sandstone. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave, north and south transepts, a chancel with a north chapel and a south vestry, and a west tower with a baptistry to the south. The tower is in three stages, with a west doorway, lancet windows, louvred bell openings, and a pyramidal roof. There are more lancet windows along the sides of the church, and a five lancets at the east end. In the roof are dormers.

Interior

Inside the church the former west gallery is now in the parish hall. Most of the stained glass was designed by Carl Almquist, E. H. Jewitt and W. J. Tipping, all of the Lancaster firm Shrigley and Hunt, with the glass in the lancet windows at the east end, dated 1876, by William Wailes.[1] The three-manual pipe organ was built in 1869–70 by William Hill and Son. Originally in the west gallery, it was moved to the chancel in 1876, and it was rebuilt and enlarged, again by William Hill, in 1895. There is a ring of six bells, all cast in 1859 by George Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Waters . William . 2003 . Stained Glass from Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster and London . Lancaster . Centre for North-West Regional Studies, University of Lancaster . 78–79 . 1862201404 . 18 July 2020 .