History

St. James was built to the designs of highly regarded Manchester architects James Medland and Henry Taylor between 1880 and 1881.

In 2011 the building was listed and noted for its 'imaginative eclectic Gothic design'

The church was first furnished with chairs until c 1888, after which the present oak pews were progressively installed. 

A carved stone font was bought with 3,000 pennies collected by the local children in 1880-1 and a badly needed choir vestry was added at the north east corner of the church in 1904.

The original pierced stone pulpit was replaced by the present wooden pulpit of 1964, and in 1971 a new organ installed at the east end replacing that at the west end of the nave over the baptistery.

There is a history website giving lots more information. You can access it here.