St James' Church, Louth
St James' Church
The church and its spire
St James' Church, Louth Location within Lincolnshire
53°22′00″N 0°00′29″W / 53.3666°N 0.0080°W / 53.3666; -0.0080
Location	Louth, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	St James' Church
History
Status	Active
Dedication	James, son of Zebedee
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I listed[1]
Years built	1430–1440 (Church was built), 1515 (Spire was built and completed) [2]
Specifications
Length	182 feet (55 m)
Spire height	287 feet 6 inches (87.63 m)
Administration
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Lincoln
Archdeaconry	Lincoln
Deanery	Louthesk[3]
Parish	Louth
Clergy
Rector	Cameron Watt
Laity
Organist/Director of music	Allan Smith

St James' Church, Louth, is the Anglican parish church of Louth in Lincolnshire, England. It is notable for having the third tallest spire in the whole of the United Kingdom. The church was the site of the Lincolnshire Rising, starting in October 1537 and led by the vicar, who was drawn and quartered for his actions.

History

The church is a medieval building. It has the tallest steeple of any medieval parish church in Britain. A recent survey has confirmed the height of the stonework as 287 feet 6 inches (87.63 m) and to the top of the cockerel weather vane as 293 feet 1 inch (89.33 m). It also confirms it as one of the very finest medieval steeples in the country^[4]

The church and spire seen from the town centre

The chancel and nave were re-built between 1430 and 1440. The building of the tower probably commenced in the 1440s or 1450s and was completed to its present height by 1499. Work began on the spire in 1501 and it was not finished until 1515. The weathercock was placed on the top of the spire amongst great rejoicing on the eve of Holy Cross Day, 13 September 1515. This 'wedercoke' had been made in Lincoln from a huge copper basin captured from the Scots at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. It was bought in York by Thomas Tayleyor, one of the churchwardens at St James'. The total cost of the spire alone was £305 8s 4d, (equivalent to £240,800 in 2021).^[5]

The church is mainly 15th century and is the third building on the site, replacing 11th- and 13th-century buildings. Originally the church had five subsidiary chapels and altars and a three-storey rood screen.

In October 1536, as a result of Henry VIII's ecclesiastical changes, people gathered in the church to start the Lincolnshire Rising, which was followed by the Pilgrimage of Grace. Neither succeeded and the church was stripped of its riches, including the rood screen, by the king's forces.

The tower and spire

The nave roof was replaced in 1825.^[6] The spire was restored between 1844 and 1845 by Lewis Nockalls Cottingham.^[7]

A further restoration took place between 1861 and 1869 by James Fowler, known as 'Fowler of Louth'.^[8] The clerestories and arcades were cleaned and underpinned. A new south porch was erected. The church was refitted with open seats of oak; the Corporation stalls being of the same material. The pulpit was carved by T. W. Wallis. The floors were laid with Minton tiles, designed by the architect. A new heating system by Hayden and Son of Trowbridge was installed with the boiler in a newly constructed vault. A stained glass window, the gift of J. L. Fytche, was fixed on the east end of the south aisle. Another window, by Clayton and Bell, was to be placed at the west end of the north aisle, in memory of General Sir George Patey. The total cost of the works was around £6,000 (equivalent to £590,000 in 2021).^[5] The church was re-opened on 5 August 1869 in the presence of the Bishop of Lincoln.^[9]

In 1937, the church flew the highest flag in Lincolnshire to mark the coronation of George VI.^[10] Later that year, renovation work commenced on the spire, under the supervision of architect Mr. Goddard, who had previously worked on Lincoln Cathedral.^[10]

In 2015 researchers discovered two pieces of a pre-Conquest standing Stone Cross, dating to c950, in the Rectory garden. In form the Cross is of the 'ring' or 'wheel head' type, the central design being of Christ crucified. This type is more commonly seen today in Ireland. The Cross and its implications for the archaeology, history and the early church in Louth are discussed in a major article by Everson and Stocker, "{'}The Cros in the Markitte Stede'. The Louth Cross, its Monastery and its Town." (Medieval Archaeology Journal, vol. 61/2, 2017).^[11] The Louth Cross is on display within the church and a small booklet about it is available at the gift shop.

Main tower and spire from the front

In 2017 funding was raised to fit a viewing door to the cell just below the spire floor. It holds the original medieval treadwheel that was used to haul up the stone and mortar for construction of the spire (1501–1515). Substantial records exist in the churchwardens' accounts from 1501 onward for the construction and use of the wheel, which was to become known as The Wild Mare. A small booklet about this rare survival is available from the church gift shop.

Dedication

The church is dedicated to James, son of Zebedee. In the Middle Ages, this saint was the focus of a major pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Incumbents

Bells

There is a peal of eight bells. They were recast in 1726 by Daniel Hedderly. In 1798 the great bell was cracked when it was rung to celebrate Nelson's victory in the Battle of the Nile. They were rehung in 1957, and the treble and two were recast. They have subsequently been refurbished and rehung in 2022.

Tower clock

The clock in the tower was installed in 1846 and made by Benjamin Vulliamy.^[14] It had a pin-wheel dead-beat escapement, with an eight-day movement. It was expected to last 200 years before needing replacement, and was set going on 25 July 1846.

It was replaced in August 1901 by a clock made by Leonard Hall of Louth. It contained a double three-legged gravity escapement as invented by Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe, and chimed the Westminster chimes every 15 minutes. The hour hammer weighs 57 pounds (26 kg). The total weight of the clock is about 1 long ton (1.1 short tons) with driving weights of another 1 ton, suspended on steel wire ropes of 450 feet (140 m).^[15]

Organ

An organ accompanied the singing of the Te Deum at the consecration of the spire in 1515. This organ had been brought some years before from Flanders.^[16] When this organ was worn out in 1531, it is recorded in the parish records:

That the honest men of this towne of Louthe deshirying to have a good payr of organs, to the laude, prayse and honour of God, and the Hole, Holy Co’pany of heffen, made an assemble together for this purpose on a certayne daye; at which type Mr. Richard Taylor, preste and bachelor of laws, then abydyng w’tin the dyocess of Norwiche being p’sent, herying the good devoute mynds, and vertuouse intent of the said townesmen, wherin he was borne and brought up, offred for to cause them have a payr made of a c’nnyng man in Lyn, that should be exampled by a payre of the same making at Ely, who was called Mr. Blyton, which then had a singular Prayse, for the sum of xxii powndes, whereof he pr’mysed to giff thereto xi powndes: upon whiche promesse they accorded, insomuch that the said Mr. Taylor covennantyd and bargaynyd the organ to be made and brought to this towne, and set upon the north syde in the hihhe quere, on St Barnabe Eve, in the yere of oure Lorde, M.V. xxxj., &c., &c.

A new organ by Gray & Davison costing £800 (equivalent to £81,200 in 2021)^[5] was opened on 17 December 1857^[17] by Henry Smart. This organ was altered by Forster and Andrews in 1868/9. After a rebuild in 1911 by Norman and Beard, it now has 37 stops and three manuals and pedals.

Pipe organ in St James Church.

Visiting and tourism

St James is nominated a "Cascade Church" within the Lincolnshire Church Tourism Network, an ecumenical scheme which promotes visits to and understanding of Lincolnshire's many churches. Like other Cascade churches it is stewarded on weekdays and there are guides available until 16:00. The western end of the church now has a tea shop, book shop and toilets, as well as information leading to other churches in the East Lindsey area.

Gallery

• 
  Side chapel in St James Church.
• 
  View towards the back of the church.
• 
  One of two wood carvings of angels in one of the side chapels in the church.
• 
  Chair on the altar.
• 
  Stained glass window.
• 
  Detail of a pew around the altar.
• 
  Pews around the altar.
• 
  Stained glass window and altar.
• 
  Altar and pews.
• 
  Decorative kneeling cushions.
• 
  Spire of the church.
• 
  Main entrance.
• 
  Exterior and windows.
• 
  Exterior and spire.
• 
  Exterior.
• 
  Interior of the western tower or belfry.
• 
  Nave and chancel, viewed from the western end of the church.
• 
  Chancel of the church, viewed over the nave altar.
• 
  High altar of the church.
• 
  Altar of St Stephen's Chapel.
• 
  Plaque commemorating Lincolnshire Rising of 1536, opposite south entrance to church.
• 
  Pulpit carved by Thomas Wilkinson Wallis
• 
  Detail of the lectern.

References