St James

The building comprises a magnificent 12th century tower, housing six bells, with later embattlements and a Norman arch. In the main building there are two windows which date from around 1300, part of the south aisle is 14th century. The north aisle is late 15th century, the north chapel, chancel and east windows are 17th century.

Four pieces of Anglo/Saxon/Viking crosses from the 10th and 11th centuries in the church are the earliest evidence of Christian worship in the area.

The church is dedicated to St James, rush bearing and maypole dancing on St James Day were recorded in 1692. There are many carved stone heads, of varying dates, inside and outside the church. A quiz sheet involves counting these. A board lists vicars and begins with Adam in 1180. On a beam in the chancel are the initials of Thomas Barbon, the vicar in 1700, he fought at the Battle of the Boyne. The Dalton Chapel in the northeast corner has some wooden panelling dated 1628. Close by the Hutton charity board describes how money was left to the poor of the parish in 1657.

Formerly there was a three decker pulpit dated 1606 but only the centre part remains. It is a good example of local carving. The organ was built in 1850 by Holts of Bradford, enlarged and improved in 1872 and rebuilt and restored between 1900 and 1914. 

There are memorials in the church to soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars and a war memorial in the grounds of the church. The 1653 to 1837 Parish registers have been transcribed and printed. All the monuments inside and outside the church have also been transcribed. Perhaps the most famous gravestone is for William Cockin, born and baptised in Burton in 1736. He was a writing master, poet and philosopher, a friend of Romney the celebrated portrait artist in whose Kendal house he died in 1801.

Grants have been received in 2022 and 2023 towards repairs to the church vestry.