Church in Cheshire, England
St James' Church is in the village of Audlem in south Cheshire , England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building .[ 1]
The church dates from the late 13th century with additions in the 19th century. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester , the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Nantwich . Its benefice is combined with those of St John, Doddington , and St Chad, Wybunbury .[ 2] The church stands in an elevated position in the centre of the village.[ 3]
The church is not recorded in the Domesday Book and it is thought that the first building on the site was given by Thomas de Aldelim to the priory of St Thomas at Stafford in the reign of Edward I .[ 4] After the dissolution of the monasteries the advowson was granted to the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield .[ 5] The church dates from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. In 1855–56 there were additions and alterations by Lynam and Rickman .[ 1]
The church stands on a small mound in the centre of the village.[ 5] It is built of red sandstone ashlar with a lead roof.[ 1] Its plan consists of a six-bay nave with an embattled clerestory , a tower at the northwest corner of the nave, a north aisle with a chapel at its east end, a narrower south aisle, a chancel and a south porch.[ 6]
The church is approached through the south porch by 26 steps arranged in a semicircle. The south wall contains a former priest's doorway which has been walled up and its steps removed. The tower has on its west face a two-light window, above which is a pair of windows and above these is a circular clock. The belfry windows have two lights and are louvred . The top is embattled with pinnacles at the four corners.[ 4]
The nave roof is camber beamed . The holy table and pulpit are Jacobean in style. A two-tier chandelier was donated to the church in 1755. Also in the church is a 13th-century chest.[ 4] Two windows containing stained glass are by William Wailes . One of these was donated by Edward Barker in memory of his wife and was installed in 1859.[ 7] In the south aisle (Nativity scenes from 1882) and in the north aisle (dated 1893) are windows by Kempe .[ 8] Four memorial boards are present which are believed to have been painted by members of the Randle Holme family of Chester .[ 9]
There is a ring of six bells, all cast in 1736 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester , which were rehung in 1891. The parish registers begin in 1557.[ 4] The two-manual organ was made by John Squire of London and restored in 1973 by Hawkins and Son of Walsall . In the 1990s it was moved from a side chapel to the west end of the north aisle.[ 10]
^ a b c Historic England , "Church of St James, Audlem (1136872)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 27 March 2012 ^ St James the Great, Audlem , Church of England , retrieved 16 February 2011 ^ Audlem , Streetmap, retrieved 16 February 2011 ^ a b c d Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches , London: Batsford, pp. 30–33, OCLC 719918 ^ a b A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Audlem , Craig Thornber, retrieved 4 August 2007 ^ Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire , Malvern: Folly Publications, pp. 20–21, ISBN 1-871731-23-2 ^ "Memorial Window in Audlem Church" . Chester Chronicle . England. 24 September 1859. Retrieved 26 June 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive. ^ Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward ; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire , The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press , pp. 116–117, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6 ^ Hess, John P. (2007–2008), "Backford's Memorial Boards: were they painted by a Randle Holme?", Cheshire History , 47 : 34–39, ISSN 0141-8696 ^ Cheshire, Audlem St James the Great , British Institute of Organ Studies , retrieved 6 August 2008
Churches in Cheshire
St Mary's Church, Acton Alderley Edge Methodist Church St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford Christ Church, Alsager St Mary Magdalene's Church, Alsager St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley St Mark's Church, Antrobus St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley St John the Evangelist's Church, Ashton Hayes St Mary's Church, Astbury St Peter's Church, Aston-by-Sutton Audlem Baptist Church St James' Church, Audlem St Oswald's Church, Backford St Michael's Church, Baddiley Christ Church, Barnton St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley Holy Trinity Church, Bickerton St Wenefrede's Church, Bickley Bollington Methodist Church St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington St Oswald's Church, Bollington Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley St Paul's Church, Boughton St Oswald's Church, Brereton Brown Knowl Methodist Church St Mary's Church, Bruera St Boniface's Church, Bunbury St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam St Nicholas' Church, Burton St John's Church, Burwardsley St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst Holy Trinity Chapel, Capesthorne St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford English Presbyterian Church of Wales, Chester Chester Cathedral Christ Church, Chester Holy Trinity Church, Chester Northgate Church, Chester St Andrew's Church, Chester St Francis' Church, Chester St John the Baptist's Church, Chester St Peter's Church, Chester Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester St Michael's Church, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Chester St Olave's Church, Chester St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester St Werburgh's Church, Chester Welsh Presbyterian Church, Chester Zion Chapel, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Cholmondeley St James' Church, Christleton All Saints Church, Church Lawton St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull St Mary's Church, Coddington St Mary's Church, Congleton St Peter's Church, Congleton St Michael's Church, Coppenhall St John's Church, Cotebrook St Barnabas' Church, Crewe St Mary's Church, Crewe St Peter's Church, Crewe Union Street Baptist Church, Crewe St Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green Christ Church, Croft Christ Church, Crowton All Saints' Church, Daresbury St Wilfrid's Church, Davenham St Peter's Church, Delamere St Mary's Church, Disley St Michael's Church, Ditton St John's Church, Doddington St Mary's Church, Dodleston St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill Christ Church, Eaton St Mary's Church, Eccleston Christ Church, Ellesmere Port St Chad's Church, Farndon St Luke's Church, Farnworth Forest Chapel St Laurence's Church, Frodsham St James' Church, Gawsworth St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall St Luke's Church, Goostrey St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth All Saints Church, Great Saughall Baptist Chapel, Great Warford St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton St Mary's Church, Hale St Mary's Church, Halton St Mary's Church, Handbridge All Saints Church, Handley St Peter's Church, Hargrave St John's Church, Hartford All Saints Church, Harthill St Matthew's Church, Haslington St Philip's Church, Hassall Green St Paul's Church, Helsby St Thomas' Church, Henbury St John's Church, High Legh St Mary's Chapel, High Legh St Luke's Church, Holmes Chapel Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton St Michael's Church, Hulme Walfield Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield St James' Church, Ince St Philip's Church, Kelsall St John the Evangelist's Church, Kingsley Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford St Cross Church, Knutsford St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford St Peter's Church, Little Budworth St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover St Luke's Church, Lower Whitley Lymm Baptist Church St Mary's Church, Lymm King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield St Alban's Church, Macclesfield St George's Church, Macclesfield St Michael's Church, Macclesfield St Paul's Church, Macclesfield St Peter's Church, Macclesfield Macclesfield United Reformed Church St Oswald's Church, Malpas St Michael's Church, Marbury St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon Minshull Vernon United Reformed Church St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley St Stephen's Church, Moulton St Mary's Church, Nantwich St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley St Michael's Church, North Rode Holy Trinity Church, Northwich St Helen Witton Church, Northwich St Luke's Church, Oakhanger St Peter's Church, Oughtrington St Catherine's Church, Over Alderley St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover St Paul's Church, Over Tabley St Chad's Church, Over Over United Reformed Church St Thomas' Church, Parkgate St Peter's Church, Plemstall Poole Methodist Chapel St Christopher's Church, Pott Shrigley St George's Church, Poynton St Peter's Church, Prestbury St Mary's Church, Pulford Holy Trinity Church, Rainow St Mary's Church, Rostherne All Saints' Church, Runcorn Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn Jenkin Chapel St Mary's Church, Sandbach Sandbach Methodist Church St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandbach Heath St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandiway All Saints Church, Scholar Green St Edith's Church, Shocklach St Michael's Church, Shotwick All Saints Church, Siddington St John the Baptist's Church, Smallwood All Saints Chapel, Somerford St Lawrence's Church, Stoak St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath St Matthew's Church, Stretton St Peter's Church, Swettenham St Peter's Church, Tabley St Helen's Church, Tarporley St Andrew's Church, Tarvin St Alban's Church, Tattenhall All Saints Church, Thelwall St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors St John's Church, Threapwood St Mary's Church, Tilston St Jude's Church, Tilstone Fearnall St John the Evangelist's Church, Toft St Chad's Chapel, Tushingham St Chad's Church, Tushingham Holy Ascension Church, Upton-by-Chester St Leonard's Church, Warmingham Holy Trinity Church, Warrington St Alban's Church, Warrington St Elphin's Church, Warrington St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington St Mary's Church, Warrington St Peter's Church, Waverton Methodist Church, Weaverham St Mary's Church, Weaverham Wesley Methodist Church, Chester All Saints' Church, Weston, Cheshire St John the Evangelist's Church, Weston Christ Church, Wheelock St Mary's Church, Whitegate St Ambrose Church, Widnes St Bede's Church, Widnes St Marie's Church, Widnes St Mary's Church, Widnes St Saviour's Church, Wildboarclough Christ Church, Willaston Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow St Michael's Church, Wincle St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford St Oswald's Church, Winwick Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston St Oswald's Church, Worleston St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury