Description

FRADSWELL

603/20/1 CHURCH OF ST JAMES THE LESS
15-JAN-68

II
DATES OF MAIN PHASES, NAME OF ARCHITECT: Parish church of C13 origin rebuilt in 1764 by C. Trubshaw and enlarged 1852 by H. Ward, with glass by Wailes.

MATERIALS: Ashlar and rock-faced local grey sandstone, hand-moulded brick, tile roofs.

PLAN: Nave with lower and narrower chancel, west tower, wide south aisle under a separate roof, north-east vestry.

EXTERIOR: The 2-stage tower is banded between stages and below the parapet. It is ashlar in the lower stage, with added lean-to rock-faced north-east turret. It has a west doorway with continuous moulding and iron gates, and pointed south window. Above the doorway is a dated tablet. The brick upper stage has a large pointed south window and small pointed belfry openings to west and north faces, with louvres. The tower has a coped brick parapet concealing a saddleback roof. The brick nave, with ashlar lower courses, has three 2-light Decorated windows in freestone surrounds, and a cinquefoil east window over the chancel. The Decorated 3-bay buttressed south aisle has 2-light south, 3-light east and west windows. The chancel has set-back buttresses in the east wall and 2-light Decorated east window. Its south wall has a 2-light window with plate tracery and small lancet. Another small lancet is in the north wall. The vestry has a north gable stack with 2 octagonal shafts.

INTERIOR: The narrow steeply-pointed chancel arch, with simple imposts, is probably C13. The 3-bay south arcade is Early-English style with piers of 4 clustered shafts and finely moulded arches. Roofs of 1852 combine arched and scissor braces on corbels. Nave walls are plastered, with interior hood moulds, but aisle and chancel have exposed stone walls. The sanctuary is laid with encaustic tiles.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Many fixtures date from the 1852 enlargement, including the Perpendicular font, polygonal stone pulpit, arcaded communion rails, and simple benches. There is a Hanoverian Royal Arms of 1766 and several memorial tablets, including to Jana Cromwell (d 1672). There are 6 windows by William Wailes of 1852.

HISTORY: The church has a C13 chancel arch but is otherwise C18 and C19. The tower was built, and the nave rebuilt, in 1764 (date on building) by Charles Trubshaw (1715-72). The church was restored and enlarged in 1852 by Henry Ward (fl. 1852-83), architect of Stafford, using distinctive rock-faced masonry. He added the south aisle, vestry, stair turret and rebuilt the chancel.

SOURCES:
H. Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 4th ed 2008, p 1055.
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire, 1974, p 134.
Incorporated Church Building Society Archives.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St James, Fradswell, is listed Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* The church is of architectural interest for the C13 origin of the chancel.
* It has a well-preserved, if modest, mid C18 tower.
* The interior retains C19 character and detail from the alterations of 1852, as well as C17 monument and C18 Royal Arms.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26551002

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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