St James Bix

 

I have visited this church on a number of occasions and always found it locked. I originally went to visit Old Bix Church a few miles away and stopped on the way back. I posted photos along with the Blog I wrote on Old Bix which this church replaced. After finding the church open I decided to write a blog on St James. Some history on Wikipedia  

" Bix Brand's original parish church of Saint James is a small Norman building in Bix Bottom, about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the village. It has a nave, chancel and several Norman lancet windows. Later additions include the Perpendicular Gothic east window and another Perpendicular window in the south wall. In 1874 the architect John Gibson completed the village's new Church of England parish church, closer to the centre of the village, also dedicated to Saint James. The new church has a north aisle and transept as well as a nave and chancel. Two of the north aisle windows contain sections of late 15th century Flemish stained glass. The old church was abandoned in 1875 and became ruined and overgrown."

St James church in 2021looking unchanged since my last visit

First time I saw St James back in 2013

The churchyard looking quite grim in the February when I visited

The north side across the churchyard

Three or the more recent headstones from the same family

 

These along near the path are from when the church first opened the footstones moved by the headstone for ease of grass cutting no doubt

From the from the have worn well listing members of another family

Nearer the footpath another set of family plots

Today the door is open

 

 

 and I get my first view inside

By the door the remnants of the font for the old church carved by Norman Craftsmen

 

The new one made by Victorians

Looking down the nave to the chancel

Then through the arch and the chancel

The altar in a plain green cloth

Behind the altar are the chore stalls and the tiled wall that would have been behind the altar until it was moved

The east window showing the Good Shepherd as the main figure in the centre flanked by two others

Over to one side another stained glass window can be seen

Looking back from the later to the west end

On the north wall of the chancel is where the organ has been fitted

Not often you see glass doors showing the keyboard

To the north side of the chancel arch is the pulpit

Where you can see the nave

Nearby the north aisle

Looking east along the north aisle to the where a vestry is now and the back of the organ

This stained glass window has an inscription

 

 

 In memory of Charles Wykeham

 

The verse at he top

 

 

Memorial to Malcolm Percy Eyre Broad
 

 

The War Memorial in the north aisle

 

Listing the names of the locals who died

It is quiet an outstanding memorial

 

Roll of Honour which lists people who served those who dies are marked with a cross

 

Beside this stained glass window 

 

A memorial plaque to John Alastair Holland Robinson

 

At the back in the west window another beautiful stained glass can be seen
 

 

This window as reset and looks to have older stained glass in it

The inscription at the base informing you it was in Memory of a former churchwarden

 

 As I went I noticed the sun shone through the windwo

 

 

The banner from the church

 

Sun reflecting through the colours of the stained glass

I will leave you this week with the altar cross facing the old wall where it used to be.

Till Next time Have a peaceful weekend