A church, dedicated to St James, was erected at Riddings in 1833. It is a handsome edifice of cut stone, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel with vestry on the north side, nave, and a western embattled tower with pinnacles and an octagonal spire. The chancel was built and the church was re-seated and renovated in 1884, at a cost of nearly £3,000. The east window is a memorial of the late James Oakes, Esq., and below this is a very handsome alabaster reredos bearing sculptured figures of angles, shields, and the implements of the Passion. The nave is lighted by three two-light windows on either side, each filled with stained glass. The tower contains a peal of ten tubular bells. The church will seat 700. (1) A grade II listed church that was built in 1832 by Francis Bedford, for the Oakes family of Riddings House. It is built of ashlar, laid in alternating thick and thin courses, with ashlar dressing. It has slate roofs with stone copings to the gables, plus ridge crosses. It comprises a three-and-a-half-bay nave, with enclosed western tower, a single-bay chancel with a small south porch, now a chapel [1988], and a north vestry. See list description for more details. (2) St James' Church was built in 1832 by Francis Bedford, who also built some of the London Waterloo churches. The chancel by F C Penrose was added in 1884. The west gallery stands on cast iron columns. (3)