Name or number of building

St James’ church, Icklingham

Street name

The Street

Village/Town

Icklingham

County

Suffolk

Map

Current use

Church (in use)

Nature of original building (if discernible)

St James’ church

Alterations and additions

Please describe (if discernible)

Tower collapsed in 18^th century, rebuilt before 1820 using old material. Church restored 1860s (“heavy-handed”, Mortlock), particularly aisles and clerestory refaced and rebuilt, though retaining 14^th century core and some features. 

Approximate General Period

Please include any information giving a more specific date, e.g. date plaque.

Medieval – up to 1530

Chancel late 13^th/early 14^th century, nave and porch Perpendicular.

Georgian – 1700-1830 tower around 1800 or before 1820

Victorian – 1830-1900 restoration – north and south aisles

Date plaque scratched in flint: “H.A.1865”: (photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/norfolkodyssey/6042433896/in/set-72157627307183707 (Simon’s Suffolk churches), also one scratched: “Joseph Needham 1865”.

Edwardian – 1900-1920 ? Flint scratched with “W.A. 1911” in tower west wall, unclear what work it refers to.

Form

Church :

Nave and Chancel, North Aisle, South Aisle, Tower & North Porch

Storeys

Single

Walling Material

Other Combination

Flint and stone, flint and thin bricks or edgeways tiles in places (chancel south and east walls ).

White brick (tower battlements)

Flint Walling Technique

Random Rubble (tower & chancel)

  (first 3 types all appear on same walls of chancel)

Irregular Coursed (chancel )

Regular Coursed (chancel )

Knapped (aisle walls) 

Roofing Material

Other

Peg tiles – roof of porch (look newer) and of chancel (moss/lichen) 

Lead from south aisle roof had just been stolen the week before my visit, I was told by the lady that let me in. Lead roofs renewed 1911.

Doorway /Lintel Detail

Arched ?

Original medieval N door, inside porch, moulded arch, simple decoration 

S aisle door medieval, moulded arch, carved faces

S chancel door, simple arch and carvings

N chancel Mortlock suggests from marks on n wall possibly once had a door and a chapel, while Tricker says they appear to indicate a tomb recess and a low-side window 

Window Detail

I am a bit confused about the windows. Mortlock says nave is Perpendicular, retaining the Decorated windows, but the N and S aisles are Victorian additions. Tricker says aisle and clerestory windows were so greatly renewed in 19^th century it is hard to see what was here before. But some stonework preserved, eg w window n aisle , e window s aisle 

East window Decorated 

NW chancel window 15^th century 

W tower window 19^th century except for reset carved window head 

Please describe any outstanding or significant flint work.

Much mid 19^th century knapped flint work made with very small squared flints, especially on aisles restored 19^th century, also bottom of buttress.

Whole flints chancel and clerestory .

Any other details or information.

St James is one of two churches in the village, next to large flour mills.

The village is now one parish, Icklingham, but was originally two parishes, All Saints and St James, with the boundaries still marked on front of Flint House in The Street.

Some nice stone carving details on exterior, on windows or gargoyles

 porch n aisle detail .

Interior 15^th century nave roof and arcades 

Any additional observations or comments

Other sources

http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/icklingj.html

http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/mortlocksuffolk.htm

There is a collection of extracts from guides in All Saints church about both churches.

Roy Tricker, The Churches of Icklingham: All Saints; Saint James: Brief guide, 1980 (from church)