St James' Church, Gawsworth

St James' Church is in the village of Gawsworth, Cheshire, England, and is sited near Gawsworth Hall. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Macclesfield. Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches. The authors of the Buildings of England series describe the church as being "pretty, but odd".HistoryThere is a record of a chapel on the site in the 13th century but the present building dates from the 15th century.ArchitectureExteriorThe church is constructed in yellow and red ashlar sandstone with stone roofs. The nave is the oldest part, dating from about 1430, the tower and chancel being built some 40 years later. The church is entirely Perpendicular in style. The plan of the church consists of a tower at the west end, a wide three-bay nave without aisles, a south porch and a chancel divided from the nave by a screen. The tower has angular buttresses with niches which used to contain statues. It also has gargoyles, eight pinnacles, the coats of arms of Cheshire families, and Tudor badges. The porch also has niches over the doorway. The nave and chancel are embattled with pinnacles.