There was a Norman church on this site in Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds before 1180, though the present church is the result of profits generated from the wool trade, and dates mainly from the 15th century. The chancel was rebuilt, the North aisle constructed with arches to balance the 13th century south aisle and the south porch was added together with the windows and battlements of both aisles. About 1490 the nave was reconstructed with its magnificent arcading built on the foundations of the old Norman nave. The great window over the chancel arch was added, a rare feature of church architecture, which provides wonderful light for the nave.
About 1500, the West tower was built, adding grace and proportion to the whole. At 120 ft. in height it ensures that the Church is a landmark from whatever direction Chipping Campden is approached. The church is regarded by Simon Jenkins as being in the top hundred of England's Thousand Best Churches.
Tags: Gloucestershire market towns wool trade churches wool churches England's Thousand Best Churches Chipping Campden St James's Church, Chipping Campden
© All Rights Reserved
Much of the present church dates from the 15th century. It is a wool church, vastly extended with profits from the medieval wool trade. About 1490 the nave was reconstructed with its magnificent arcading built on the foundations of the old Norman nave. The great window over the chancel arch was added, a rare feature of church architecture, which provides wonderful light for the nave.
The fine East Window by Henry Payne was completed in 1925 in memory of those who fell in the Great War. The window over the chancel arch represents the last judgment. Preserved behind glass are wonderful survivals from the days before the Reformation: the unique pair of Altar Frontals (c.1500) and the Cope (c.1400). The Altar Frontals were copied by command of Queen Mary for the High Altar of Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony in 1912.There are fine 15th century brasses, now secured to the Chancel Floor, the largest of which commemorates William Grevel "...flower of the wool merchants of all England..." The finely carved canopied tomb of Sir Thomas Smythe is on the North wall in the sanctuary and is the most remarkable in the church. He was Lord of the Manor of Campden until his death in 1593. He lived at the court of Henry VIII and was the first Governor of the East India Company.
The Jacobean pulpit and Flemish lectern are gifts from Sir Baptist Hicks, whose ornate tomb is in the Gainsborough Chapel.
The church is regarded by Simon Jenkins as being in the top hundred of England's Thousand Best Churches.
Tags: Gloucestershire wool churches churches England's Thousand Best Churches church interiors stained glass windows Chipping Campden St James's Church, Chipping Campden
© All Rights Reserved
Chipping Campden is a small market town in the Cotswolds. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century. A rich wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipping Campden enjoyed the patronage of wealthy wool merchants. Today it is a popular Cotswold tourist destination with old inns, hotels, specialist shops and restaurants. The High Street is lined with honey-coloured limestone buildings, built from the mellow locally quarried oolitic limestone known as Cotswold stone, and boasts a wealth of fine vernacular architecture.
Source: Wikipedia
Tags: Gloucestershire Cotswolds street scenes shops wine merchants architecture Georgian buildings Chipping Campden High Street, Chipping Campden
© All Rights Reserved
Chipping Campden is a small market town in the Cotswolds. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 18th century. A rich wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipping Campden enjoyed the patronage of wealthy wool merchants. Today it is a popular Cotswold tourist destination with old inns, hotels, specialist shops and restaurants. The High Street is lined with honey-coloured limestone buildings, built from the mellow locally quarried oolitic limestone known as Cotswold stone, and boasts a wealth of fine vernacular architecture.
Source: Wikipedia
Tags: Gloucestershire Cotswolds shops post offices Georgian architecture Georgian buildings Chipping Campden Chipping Campden Post Office EU
© All Rights Reserved
Chipping Campden is a small market town in the Cotswolds. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century. A rich wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipping Campden enjoyed the patronage of wealthy wool merchants. Today it is a popular Cotswold tourist destination with old inns, hotels, specialist shops and restaurants. The High Street is lined with honey-coloured limestone buildings, built from the mellow locally quarried oolitic limestone known as Cotswold stone, and boasts a wealth of fine vernacular architecture.
Source: Wikipedia
Tags: Gloucestershire Cotswolds alleyways alleys stone buildings Chipping Campden Chipping Campden High Street
© All Rights Reserved