St James the Greater, Leicester

Last updated

St James the Greater, Leicester
St James the Greater, Leicester (geograph 2301982).jpg
St James the Greater, Leicester
St James the Greater, Leicester
52°37′24.7″N1°06′54.75″W / 52.623528°N 1.1152083°W / 52.623528; -1.1152083
Location Leicester
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Website dlibitum.co.uk/sjg
History
Dedication St James the Greater
Consecrated 25 July 1901
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade II* listed [1]
Architect(s) Henry L Goddard
Groundbreaking 28 October 1899
Completed24 September 1914
Administration
Diocese Diocese of Leicester
Archdeaconry Leicester
Deanery City of Leicester
Parish St James, Leicester

St James the Greater, Leicester is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Leicester, Leicestershire. [1] [2] It is located south of the city centre of Leicester, on the London Road (A6), opposite Victoria Park.

Contents

History

The church, which was founded as a daughter church of St Peter's Church, Leicester in 1881, was originally a temporary wooden church. A decade later the decision was taken to build a permanent church due to the increase in the congregation. The work was entrusted to the architect, Henry Langton Goddard of Leicester. On the advice of Bishop Mandell Creighton, Bishop of Peterborough, Goddard visited several churches in northern Italy. Bishop Creighton wanted the new church to be architectural impressive to reflect its status in Leicester. After visiting Italy, Goddard's external design for St James was influenced by Torcello Cathedral on the Venetian lagoon and its interior decor from churches in Venice and Florence. [3] The foundation stone was laid on 28 October 1899; [4] the building was consecrated on 25 July 1901. [5]

The west front was completed between 1911 and 1914 and was dedicated by Creighton's successor Edward Carr Glyn, the Bishop of Peterborough, on 24 September 1914.

St James the Greater became a parish in its own right on 25 June 1918.

In the late 1950s, the Diocese of Leicester threatened to close the church dues to falling congressional numbers. However, its incumbent, Reverend Lawrence Jackson, who was appointed in 1959, managed to bring people back to the church with his remarkable ministry. The Church had one of the largest congregations in the Diocese at the time Lawrence moved to Coventry in 1965. St James the Greater continues to have an active congregation. It hosts a variety of events, has two church halls and remains one of Leicester’s best-known churches.

Organ

The pipe organ, which was built by Stephen Taylor, is listed on the National Pipe Organ Register. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Leicester</span> Diocese of the Church of England

The Diocese of Leicester is a Church of England diocese based in Leicester and including the current county of Leicestershire. The cathedral is Leicester Cathedral, where the Bishop of Leicester has his episcopal chair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douai Abbey</span> Church in Berkshire, United Kingdom

Douai Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey at Upper Woolhampton, near Thatcham, in the English county of Berkshire, situated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. Monks from the monastery of St. Edmund's, in Douai, France, came to Woolhampton in 1903 when the community left France as a result of anti-clerical legislation. The abbey church is listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester</span> Church in Manchester, UK

The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus on Oxford Road, Manchester, England was designed by Joseph A. Hansom and built between 1869 and 1871. The tower, designed by Adrian Gilbert Scott, was erected in 1928 in memory of Fr Bernard Vaughan, SJ. The church has been Grade I listed on the National Heritage List for England since 1989, having previously been Grade II* listed since 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Jepson Binns</span> British organ builder (c.1855–1928)

James Jepson Binns was a pipe organ builder based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter & St Paul's Church, Syston</span> Church in Syston, England

St Peter and St Paul's Church, Syston is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Syston, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch</span> Church in United Kingdom

Holy Trinity, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, is a parish church in the Church of England Diocese of Leicester in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mark's Church, Harrogate</span> Church

St. Mark's Church, Harrogate is a parish church in the Church of England located in Harrogate. The church is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' Church, King's Heath</span> Church in King’s Heath, England

All Saints' Church, King's Heath, is a Grade II listed Church of England parish in the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Lawrence's Church, Barton</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Lawrence's Church is in Garstang Road, Barton, Preston, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Blackburn. The church was built in 1895–96, and was designed by R. Knill Freeman. It is constructed in sandstone, and consists of a nave, aisles, a chancel and a southwest steeple. The church holds services on Sundays and Wednesdays. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Saviour's Church, Leicester</span> Church in Leicester, England

St Saviour's Church, Leicester is a Grade II* listed former parish church in the Church of England in Leicester, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Leicester</span> Church in Leicester, England

St Peter's Church, Leicester, is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England in the Highfields area of Leicester, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mark's Church, Leicester</span> Church in Leicester, England

St Mark's Church, Leicester is a Grade II* listed former parish church in the Church of England in Leicester, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Dionysius' Church, Market Harborough</span> Church in Market Harborough, England

St Dionysius' Church, Market Harborough is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Church, Longridge</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Paul's Church stands off Berry Lane, Longridge, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Blackburn. The church was built in 1886–1888, and the tower was added in 1936–37. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Netherseal</span> Church in Netherseal, England

St Peter's Church, Netherseal is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Netherseal, Derbyshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Rosliston</span> Church in Rosliston, England

St Mary's Church, Rosliston is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Rosliston, Derbyshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Thomas' Church, South Wigston</span> Church in South Wigston, England

St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in South Wigston, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sileby Primitive Methodist Church</span> Church in Sileby, England

Sileby Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist church in Sileby, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Michael and All Angels' Church, Diseworth</span> Church in Diseworth, England

St Michael and All Angels' Church, Diseworth is a Grade II* listed Church of England church in Kegworth, Leicestershire.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St James the Greater, London Road (Grade II*) (1361037)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus. The Buildings of England. Leicestershire and Rutland. Yale University Press. p. 42. ISBN   0300096186.
  3. ↑ "St James the Greater, Leicester". www.adlibitum.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  4. ↑ "Church Extension in Leicester. The New Church of St James". Leicester Chronicle. Leicester. 4 November 1899. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Church of St James the Greater. Consecration by the Bishop of Peterborough". Leicester Chronicle. Leicester. 27 July 1901. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "NPOR [R02080]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 30 July 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.