St James' Church, East Cranmore

St James' Church is a former Church of England church in East Cranmore, Somerset, England. Designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt, it was built in 1846 to replace an earlier church on the same site and closed in 1958. The church, now a private residence, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

St James' Church
Religion
AffiliationChurch of England
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusClosed
Year consecrated1846
Location
LocationEast Cranmore, Somerset, England
Geographic coordinates51°11′35″N 2°27′26″W
Architecture
Architect(s)Thomas Henry Wyatt
TypeChurch

History

St James was built to replace an earlier church of Saxon origin that had been rebuilt in the early 18th-century.[1] Owing to its dilapidated condition, the church was demolished in April 1845 to make way for a new, larger one designed by Thomas Henry Wyatt of London. The new St James was consecrated by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Rev. Richard Bagot, on 18 August 1846.[2]

The church's spire suffered bomb damage during World War II and the church had to temporarily close in 1946 following further damage from gales.[3] Repairs allowed the church to reopen on 9 February 1947.[4]

The church closed in 1958 and was declared redundant by the Church Commissioners in 1971.[5][6] It was subsequently sold to a private owner and planning was approved for a conversion scheme in 1975.[7] Another conversion scheme for the former church was approved in 1988.[8]

Architecture

St James is built of Doulting freestone, with slate roofs, in the Early Decorated style. It is made up of a five-bay nave, chancel, south transept, north vestry, and south tower, with porch underneath and broach spire above. The church was designed to seat 130 persons. Many of the church's original fittings were carved from oak, including the open hammer-beam roof, open sittings, communion table, reading desk and pulpit.[2][1]

References
  1. "ST JAMES, Cranmore - 1058534". Historic England. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  2. "Consecration of East Cranmore Church". The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette. Bath. 3 September 1846. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Damage to East Cranmore Church". The Shepton Mallet Journal. Shepton Mallet. 11 October 1946. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "Doulting: Church services". The Shepton Mallet Journal. Shepton Mallet. 31 January 1947. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Somerset churches closed". The Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser. Taunton. 1 November 1958. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Diocese of Bath and Wells" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  7. "House will look like the church". The Cheddar Valley Gazette. Cheddar. 13 November 1975. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Church house". The Wells Journal. Wells. 15 December 1988. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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