St James' by the Park (sometimes known as Shirley Parish Church) is an Anglican parish church which meets in Shirley, Southampton. Following the closure of St John's church, the church has one church building, the grade II listed St James'. [1]
St James' by the Park (sometimes known as Shirley Parish Church) is an Anglican parish church which meets in Shirley, Southampton. Following the closure of St John's church, the church has one church building, the grade II listed St James'. [1]
The Domesday Book records a church being present at Shirley in 1085, but on 1 May 1574 the parish of Shirley was amalgamated with that of Millbrook as the small Shirley congregation could not afford the upkeep of the Shirley church building. [2] The Shirley church was demolished in 1609, with stones from the old building used to enlarge St Nicholas' Church building in Millbrook. [2]
By 1836, the population of the combined parish had reached 2,375 inhabitants, and the old Millbrook parish church was too small. [2] Land was donated for a new church building in Shirley by Nathaniel Newman Jefferys, [3] and Church Building Society combined with private funding to pay for the structure itself. [2] The new church, dedicated to St. James, was designed by local architect William Hinves [3] and consecrated on 20 August 1836 by the Bishop of Winchester with a large crowd present despite "unfavourable weather", according to the Hampshire Advertiser newspaper. [2] The newspaper went on to give this description of the new building:
It contains six hundred sittings. At the back of the altar is a gothic screen, divided into three components, the outer entablatures contain the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the Belief, the centre entablature the crucifixion by Shayer, a first rate painting, the head of life itself and the expression of subdued anguish is beautifully conceived and awakes the feeling of an intense degree of interest. It is one of the happiest of his late products. [2]
The building was also described in 1848 as "a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower". [2]
The first vicar of Shirley was the Reverend William Orger, who looked after the parish for 25 years. [2] During this time, the church grew quickly, to such an extent that the building was added to within a few years of its consecration. Balconies added in 1840 raised the capacity to 1080. [2] [4] In 1848, only 432 of these pews were free, implying a regular congregation of around 600. [4] A church clock was provided in 1875, [2] and further new pews and a new chancel were added in 1881. [2]
The parish register for St John's was started in 1912. [5]
Plans to rebuild St John's church were submitted in 1957 [6] , with amended plans submitted and approved in 1959. [7] The foundation stone of the new building was laid by the Bishop of Winchester, Dr Alwyn Williams. [8] The building was subsequently adapted into a community centre named St John's Centre. [9]
The interior of the St James' building was renovated in 1994; the pews were removed and the floor levelled and carpeted. On 1 March 2016, they further updated their seating with the addition of new chairs that now blue and are more cushioned than the previous ones.
In 2020 it was reported that St John's Centre could be demolished and replaced with housing [10] and plans were submitted later that year to replace the building with five houses. [11] Permission for those plans was refused [11] and new plans were submitted in 2021 to replace the St John's building with four houses; this planning application was withdrawn in October 2022. [12] The St John's building was sold to the Church of Pentecost and handed over at a joint celebration in early 2023. [13]
Thornhill is a suburb of Southampton, United Kingdom, situated on the eastern border of the city and bounded by three major roads. According to the 2001 census the population was 11,460. The under 16s represent 23.4% of the population, 5% more than the city figure of 18.2%; the over 65s represent 17.4%, again, higher than the city average of 14.5%.
Romsey is a historic market town in the county of Hampshire, England. Romsey was home to the 17th-century philosopher and economist William Petty and the 19th-century British prime minister, Lord Palmerston, whose statue has stood in the town centre since 1857. The town was also home to the 20th-century naval officer and statesman Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who lived at Broadlands. Romsey Abbey, the largest parish church in Hampshire, dominates the centre of the town. Other notable buildings include a 13th-century hunting lodge, an 18th-century coaching inn and the 19th-century Corn Exchange.
Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census.
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Shirley is a broad district and a former village on the western side of Southampton, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the west of the city. Housing is a mixture of council houses in the centre of the district surrounded by private housing, with larger suburban houses concentrated in Upper Shirley. Shirley is separated from Highfield by Southampton Common, a large green public space.
Freemantle is a suburb and electoral ward in Southampton, England.
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Lordshill is a district in Southampton, England. It is situated in the northern part of the city.
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&SR) was a cross-country railway running north–south between Didcot, Newbury and Winchester. Its promoters intended an independent route to Southampton and envisaged heavy traffic from the Midlands and North of England to the port, but they ran out of funds to complete the line to Southampton. The intended heavy through traffic never materialised, and the line was dependent on larger railways—the Great Western Railway and the London and South Western Railway—for support, which was not freely given. The line opened in two stages, in 1882 and 1885.
Highfield Church is a parish church in the Highfield district of Southampton, England. It is an Anglican Church in the Diocese of Winchester.
Southampton is a city in Hampshire, England. The area has been settled since the Stone Age. Its history has been affected by its geographical location, on a major estuary on the English Channel coast with an unusual double high-tide, and by its proximity to Winchester and London; the ancient and modern capitals of England. Having been an important regional centre for centuries, Southampton was awarded city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1964 .
Medlar-with-Wesham is a civil parish and an electoral ward on the Fylde in Lancashire, England, which contains the town of Wesham. It lies within the Borough of Fylde, and had a population of 3,245 in 1,294 households recorded in the 2001 census. rising to 3,584 at the 2011 Census.
St Andrew's Church is an Anglican parish church in the centre of Farnham, Surrey. It is a Grade I listed building and surviving parts of the structure date back to the Middle Ages. It in the Archdeaconry of Surrey, in the Diocese of Guildford. The churchyard contains the grave of William Cobbett and there is a memorial to Augustus Toplady.
Southampton Corporation Transport motor bus services started in 1919 as a successor to Southampton Corporation Tramways. After Southampton achieved city status in 1964 it was renamed Southampton City Transport. In 1986, as a result of deregulation it became Southampton Citybus, an arms-length company that was sold to the staff in 1993. It continued trading as Southampton Citybus until it was bought by First Bus in 1997.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Southampton, Hampshire, England.
St James' Park, Southampton is a recreational area situated in the district of Shirley, Southampton opposite St James' Church, Southampton. It is adjacent to Winchester Road and surrounded by housing, some of it dating from the mid Victorian Period. It is supported by The Friends Of St James' Park (FOSJP) who run a cafe and organise community events.
Holy Trinity Church is a former Church of England church in Beaminster, Dorset, England. The church was built in 1849–51 and made redundant in 1978. It is now a private residence known as Trefoil House.
Coordinates: 50°55′36″N1°25′42″W / 50.92669°N 1.42825°W
