St James' Church, Oldham

St James' Church is in Barry Street, Greenacres Moor, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Oldham East, the archdeaconry of Rochdale, and the diocese of Manchester.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[2] It was a Commissioners' church, having received a grant towards its construction from the Church Building Commission.[3]

St James' Church, Oldham
St James' Church, Oldham. from the southeast
St James' Church, Oldham is located in Greater Manchester
St James' Church, Oldham
St James' Church, Oldham
Location in Greater Manchester
53.5458°N 2.0954°W / 53.5458; -2.0954
OS grid referenceSD 938 055
LocationBarry Street, Greenacres Moor, Oldham, Greater Manchester
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
ChurchmanshipAnglo-Catholic
WebsiteSt James, Oldham
History
StatusParish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated8 March 1993
Architect(s)Francis Goodwin
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1827
Completed1829
Construction cost£9,652
Specifications
MaterialsStone, slate roofs
Administration
ProvinceYork
DioceseManchester
ArchdeaconryRochdale
DeaneryOldham East
ParishSt. James with St. Ambrose Oldham
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Rt Revd Stephen Race (AEO)
RectorInterregnum

History

The foundation stone was laid by James Lees of Higher Clarksfield on 3 September 1827.[4] The church was built between 1827 and 1829 to a design by Francis Goodwin.[5] A grant of £9,652 (equivalent to £900,000 in 2021)[6] was given towards its construction by the Church Building Commission. The original commission for the design was won by Charles Barry, but he underestimated the cost of the church, and was replaced when the tenders were received.[5] The apse was added in 1883 by John Lowe of Manchester.[2]

Architecture

Exterior

St James is constructed in ashlar stone with Welsh slate roofs. Its plan consists of a nave, north and south aisles, a shallow canted apse at the east end, a west tower, and vestries to the north and south of the tower. The tower has a west door with a two-light window above it, and clasping buttresses topped with gables. Over the second stage is a parapet with an integral surround for a clock face. Above this flying buttresses support an octagonal lantern that contains bell openings.[2] The parapet is embattled.[5] There is another doorway on the south side of the church. The aisles are of six bays, separated by buttresses, each bay containing a two-light window with Decorated cast iron tracery. The chancel also contains two-light windows.[2]

Interior

Inside the church are galleries on three sides. The chancel screen with a rood loft date from the 1920s, and were built as a memorial to the First World War. There is a central ogee-headed arch, over which is a crucifix.[2] At the sides of this are panels with inscriptions under statues of Saint George and Saint Michael. In the chancel are a canopied reredos and a sedilia. The stained glass includes windows by Shrigley and Hunt.[2]

Present day

The Parish of St. James with St. Ambrose Oldham is part of the Archdeaconry of Rochdale in the Diocese of Manchester.[7]

St James' Church is part of the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England.[8] As the parish rejects the ordination of women, it is a member of Forward in Faith and receives alternative episcopal oversight for the Bishop of Beverley (currently Stephen Race).[8][9]

See also

References
  1. Saint James's Church, Barry Street, Oldham, Church of England, retrieved 23 June 2012
  2. Historic England, "Church of St James, Oldham (1209984)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 16 December 2011
  3. Port, M. H. (2006), 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818-1856 (2nd ed.), Reading: Spire Books, p. 334, ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4
  4. Butterworth, Edwin (1856), Historical Sketches of Oldham Edwin Butterworth 1856
  5. Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2004), Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp. 550–551, ISBN 0-300-10583-5
  6. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 11 June 2022
  7. "Saint James's Church, Barry Street - More information", A Church Near You, The Archbishops’ Council, retrieved 19 January 2018
  8. "Saint James's Church, Barry Street - About us", A Church Near You, The Archbishops’ Council, retrieved 19 January 2018
  9. "Directory - St James with St Ambrose, Oldham", See of Beverley, retrieved 19 January 2018
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