St James' Church, Stirchley

The plan of the church is simple, consisting of a nave with a north aisle, a chancel, and a west tower. The chancel is in Norman style, and constructed in squared yellow sandstone blocks.[4] The nave and tower are in Georgian style,[1] and constructed in red brick with sandstone dressings.[4] The chancel has round-headed lancet windows, and one south window with Y-tracery. In the nave there are two round-headed windows, and there a more round-headed windows in the north aisle. The tower is in three stages. In the bottom stage is a round-headed west doorway, and above it in the middle stage is a large round-headed window. The top stage has round-headed bell openings on each side. On the summit of the tower is a pyramidal roof with a finial and a weathervane.[1]

The most impressive internal structure is the Norman chancel arch. It consists of two orders of shafts and three orders of voussoirs, and is decorated with carvings of chain links, rosettes in lozenges, and two types of chevrons.[4] The capitals are carved with scallops and foliage.[1] The architectural historians John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner describe the arch as being "quite incongruously ornate".[4] Also in the church is a west gallery with a balustraded front, and a north gallery with tiered seating. The pulpit, reading desk, and box pews all date from about 1740, and were rearranged in 1838.[4]

There is brass plaque to men of Stirchley who died serving World War I, as well as a row of four shields bearing each a name, three to men who died in the latter war, and one in World War II. The church also preserves a huge wooden roll of honour of men who served in World War I which was moved from St Luke's Church, Doseley (closed 1975).[6]

There is a ring of three bells. These were cast in 1410 by John de Colsale, in 1594 by Henry II Oldfield, and in 1664 by Thomas II Clibury.[7]