St James
Edgcote, Northamptonshire
However you reach it Edgcote feels removed from daily life, out of time.
Elements of an earlier church can be discovered but the overwhelming effect is a grand building from the time of King Edward III (1327-1377). A reason for its scale and grandeur must have been the successful market that was held here in medieval times which rivalled that of Banbury.
The architecture shows considerable sophistication not least in the unusual tracery in the windows. The original stained glass has long been replaced by plain windows which means that this building is full of light. The exception to this is the east window with its stained glass by Christoper Whall (1903).
This date is significant as the church underwent an Arts & Crafts readjustment carried out by G Christopher Carter and Owen Little. They were very careful to preserve earlier features including the raised tier of pews at the west end surmounted by a large painting of the Hanoverian Royal Arms. From this period also date the impressive bronze eagle lectern (1902) and the brass altar garniture, cross, candlesticks and vases, by John Williams (1901).
