Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST JAMES (1088362)

Parish church. 1838, built by public subscription, designed by Stevens of Derby. Ashlar with moulded plinth and shallow pitched leaded roofs, hidden behind flush parapets with ridgeback copings over a coved eaves cornice. Wide four bay nave with western tower and lower short chancel. Three stage western tower has moulded stringcourses between stages and stepped gableted angle buttresses to western corners up to the second stage. West elevation of tower has a moulded pointed doorcase with returned hoodmould and panelled doors. Similar, smaller doorcase to north side and thin lancet to south side. Above to west there is a moulded pointed 2-light window with cusped Y-tracery, returned hoodmould and lozenge paned metal lights, over which is a clockface under an ogee headed returned hoodmould with foliage finial to top. Similar elevation to north side and a thin lancet to south. Above, the bell stage has a 2-light louvred pointed bell opening with panel tracery and returned hoodmould to each side and there are foliage bosses to each corner of the stringcourse at the base of the bell stage. The eaves stringcourse has corner gargoyles and embattled parapets over, with ridgeback copings and corner pilaster strips. North elevation of nave has stepped, gableted angle buttresses to either end and four 2-light tall pointed windows with panel tracery, returned hoodmoulds and lozenge patterned metal lights, except eastern window which has stained glass. Between the windows there are stepped gableted buttresses. East wall of the nave has a low porch attached with pointed moulded doorcase to north, similar to northern doorcase in the tower, and an angled corner buttress. East elevation of chancel has stepped gableted angle buttresses to either side of a 3-light pointed panel tracery window with returned hoodmould. Gable above has a simple ridge cross. Small vestry to south side of the chancel has a small, cusped Y-tracery window below four-centred arched head and returned hoodmould, to south. South nave elevation, similar to north elevation, except all windows have lozenge patterned metal lights. Interior has a wide continuous moulded chancel arch and a panelled gallery to rear of the church supported on clustered iron columns. Boarded timber king post roof is dated 1901 by brass plaque in the gallery. Tower has plain stone staircase up to vestry and the gallery. Original box pews to nave have pointed bench ends with blind Y-tracery panels, and high standing octagonal wooden pulpit, also original, has iron balustrade with wreathed handrail to staircase at the side and an ogee headed octagonal tester above. To north side of chancel arch there is a lower similar style pulpit without tester for the readers, and below the main pulpit is the original octagonal stone font with diaper work to the bowl and an elaborate timber canopied font cover, dated 1903. Chancel has commandment and creed plaques to either side of the altar with cusped tops, and cusped metal altar rails. To each side there are pointed panelled doors into side rooms. Memorials include three slate and white marble plaques on south wall of the chancel, each to a member of the Eaton family and each with carved foliage surround, all late C19. North side of chancel has two metal plaques, one in enamelled brass to John Eaton, who died 1897 and the other, a brass war memorial. South side of the nave has another war memorial in timber with carved Dec Style aedicule. East end of the north side of nave has several more wall memorials, two with white marble Gothick aedicules, both to the Sutton family of Shardlow Hall and late C19. There are also two early C20 memorials one with moulded alabaster surround and mosaiced border to Susan Weddall, who died 1907 and the other of c1915 to Hubert Sutton, with simple limestone plaque. In addition there are two slate and white marble wall memorials and one brass memorial. The brass memorial is to Zachary Smith, who died 1918 and the two others are to E Cullen and James Clifford, who died in 1864 and 1866 respectively. The latter was a successful merchant who lived in Broughton House. East window of north side of nave and the east chancel window both have early C19 stained glass, that to nave, patterned and that to chancel, figurative.