St James

The church has stood on its hill overlooking the village for the last 1000 years. The current church was established shortly after the Norman Conquest and comprises one of the largest Norman naves in the country with its distinctive herringbone masonry typical of the period. In its medieval heyday the powerful Mortimer family virtually ruled England from the adjacent Wigmore Castle and the church was enlarged and beautified by the infamous Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. The following centuries saw a gradual decline in the fortunes of the village and its church until the Victorians stepped in to re-model the interior in the 19th century.

Following the Great War, a rare internal war memorial designed by William Storr-Barber, was erected on the south wall of the church.

Recent years have seen the church under threat of closure and since the spring of 2023 the Friends of St James’ Church have sought to broaden the use of the space for community events including lectures, book launches, concerts and exhibitions. They also secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a set of fascinating interpretation boards installed in the medieval south aisle which describe the history of the church, castle and village through the centuries.

More about the architectural features of the church building and of its history can be found at the Friends’ website.