Church. 1872, by A.W. Blomfield. Dressed limestone with ashlar dressings,
including bands in gable ends and internally. Stone slate roofs. Four-bay nave,
lean-to south aisle, 2-bay chancel with south vestry and north-west steeple over
porch. In an Early English/Decorated Gothic style. Steeple: two stages
externally. Double-chamfered plinth, clasping buttresses to lower stage with
chamfered offsets to pilaster buttresses to belfry, chamfered offset to belfry
with continuous impost moulding and corbelled eaves band, and broach spire with
moulded cornice, hipped lucarnes to cardinal faces with louvred chamfered lancet
openings, finials and continuous cill string, and finial at apex. Belfry
openings of 2 louvred trefoil-headed lights with quatrefoil plate tracery, each
set in chamfered recess with double-chamfered shallow pointed-arched head. First
stage with pairs of trefoil-headed chamfered lancets to east and west, which
each have decorative triangular-pattern stonework in relieving arch over; pair
of small chamfered lancets to north. Pair of boarded north doors with
wrought-iron strap hinges, moulded archway and hood mould with carved foliate
stops. Cast-iron bootscrapers. Clock in front of belfry openings to north.
Interior of porch has chamfered rear arch to door, stone side benches beneath
windows with chamfered square surrounds and central chamfered corbel projections
between with broach stops and boarded door to nave with strap hinges and
continuously-chamfered and ovolo-moulded archway; encaustic-tiled floor and
chamfered cross-beamed ceiling. Nave: chamfered plinth, buttresses with
chamfered offsets, chamfered stone eaves and parapeted gable ends with finials
at apices, cross-to west. North side: left-hand buttress has gabled top with
blind trefoiled circular panel and finial. Windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights
with quatrefoils in tracery, hollow-chamfered reveals and returned hood moulds.
West end: central buttress with chamfered offsets and gabled top with blind
trefoiled circular panel and finial. Two tall windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights
with cusped tracery, chamfered reveals and hood moulds with carved foliate
stops.
South aisle: chamfered plinth, flush cill band and chamfered stone eaves.
Two- and 3-light windows with squat trefoil-headed lancet lights; west window of
2 trefoil-headed lights with cusped plate tracery and hood mould with carved
foliate stops.
Chancel: chamfered plinth (double to east), buttresses with
chamfered offsets (clasping to east), cill string, chamfered stone eaves, and
parapeted gable end with coping and finial at apex (probably truncated cross).
North-west window of 2 chamfered lancet lights with carved trefoiled chamfered
circular panel in tympanum and round relieving arch.
East end: window of S
stepped trefoil-headed lights with quatrefoils and cinquefoil in tracery,
chamfered reveals and hood mould with carved foliate stops.
Vestry: chamfered
plinth and parapeted gable to front with coping and integral stone stack at apex
consisting of chamfered offset to octagonal shaft with cap.
South window of 2
trefoil-headed lights with quatrefoil in tracery, chamfered reveals and returned
hood mould. Trefoil-headed chamfered lancet to east and boarded door to its left
with chamfered Caernarvon arch and segmental relieving arch.
Interior: dressed
stone with ashlar bands. Four-bay nave roof with arched-braced collar trusses
springing from stone corbels, intermediate smaller arched-braced collar trusses
springing from stone corbels higher up, trussed rafters between with collars,
moulded wooden wall plate, ashlar pieces and 3 purlins each side.
South aisle
arcade consisting of circular piers with moulded bases and capitals
(semi-circular end piers) and double-chamfered arches. Nave windows and door
with chamfered rear arches and aisle windows with chamfered wooden lintels.
Chamfered chancel arch with continuous outer sunk chamfer and half-octagonal
piers with moulded bases and capitals. Two-bay chancel roof (one long bay and
one short bay) has 2 arched-braced collar trusses with moulded tie-stubs on
wooden brackets, intermediate arched-braced truss to east, trussed rafters
between with collars, moulded wooden wall plate, ashlar pieces and single
purlins. Ashlar dado with cill string, stepped up to east. East window has
clustered nook shafts with moulded bases and capitals, chamfered rear arch and
hood mould with carved foliate stops; north window with clustered nook shafts
and chamfered trefoil rear arch. Continuous double-chamfered vestry/organ arch,
with moulded imposts to outer chamfer. Stone sedilia to south with
hollow-chamfered arched head and 2 seats divided by stone arm-rests.
Double-chamfered arched aumbry to north, the inner chamfer dying into responds,
with projecting cill. Lean-to aisle roof with purlins and arched braced trusses.
Double-chamfered archway at east end of aisle, the inner chamfer resting on
moulded brackets and the outer chamfer dying into responds. Vestry with
segmental-arched corner fireplace and chamfered trefoil-arched piscina to south
with projecting scalloped bowl. Mainly late C19 fittings: marble reredos of 1872
consisting of cross set in mosiac in central arch, flanking lozenge panels with
carved figures, bracketed cill and moulded top; brass plaque on south wall of
nave inscribed: "TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND/IN AFFECTIONATE MEMORY OF
MARY/KATHERINE WIFE OF R. LOWBRIDGE/BAKER VICAR OF THIS PARISH/THIS REREDOS IS
PLACED BY MANY/FRIENDS WHO LOVED HER DEEPLY/A.D. 1872". Wrought-iron altar rails
with wooden rail. Plain choir stalls with wrought-iron frontals. Organ with
painted pipes. Oak chancel screen dated 1932 with stone base, 3:3 lights with
pierced cinquefoil heads, and moulded top rail with cresting; inscription to
base: (left-hand side) "TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF HENRIETTA MARIA.
WIFE OF REV. ROBERT LOWBRIDGE BAKER/(right-hand side) "DIED 25 FEBRUARY 1932 AND
HER DAUGHTER MARJORIE EMILY WHO DIED 23 FEBRUARY 1932". Polygonal wooden pulpit
with pierced quatrefoils. Wrought-iron lectern. Plain pews. Stone font at west
end of nave with square base, circular stem with 4 marble shafts, each with
moulded base and carved capital, square bowl with billet ornament to sides and
circular lead bowl and circular iron-bound wooden cover. Encaustic tiles to
chancel. Stained glass in Past window, north windows and some aisle windows;
Faith, Hope and Charity north windows are a memorial to the Reverend Lowbridge
Baker. Monuments: date tablet in memory of William Buckingham (d.1914-18 war),
carved by Levi Dore, the village craftsman who also designed and built the war
memorial (q.v.). The Reverend Robert Lowbridge Baker was the first vicar of
Ramsden and gave the tower; spire and bells in memory of his first wife who died
on the eve of the opening of the church. The church cost £1,886 and the tower,
spire and bells cost £639 (accounts). The church opened on Friday 26th April
1872. The builder was Groves of Milton under Wychwood.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p734; Kelly's Directory of Oxfordshire:
1911: pp308-9)
St James' Church is a Grade II listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST JAMES, Ramsden - 1367900 | Historic England.
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