| The Parish Church of St James | |
| St. James's Road, Hampton Hill, TW12 1DQ (Parish Office 020 8941 6003) | |
| THE CHURCH BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS | |
| Section Contents: Introduction
| Building Projects | Images
of St. James's | Inside the Church | Symbols
in the Church | The
Church Hall | The Church
& Grounds Through the Years | The Churchyard
| The Tower and Spire | The
Vicarage |
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The most striking and
characteristic external features of the church are its tower and
spire at the west end of the church. |
| The
Church Tower, well-proportioned and made of mellow stock
bricks with stone dressings, reminds us of the times when the
church (not St. James's) was used as a post of defence against enemies,
being square, solid and strongly built. |
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The
clock, with four dials, is
a simple pendulum wall clock and was made in 1893 by J. Smith &
Sons of Derby, the builders of the great clock of St. Paul’s
Cathedral in London. (Notice the louvre
windows to let out the sound of the bells) |
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The
Spire, with a cross at the top, is a gracefully tapering
structure which rises above the tower in the form of a tall cone
or pyramid. It is entirely made of Portland stone and rises to 157
feet (approx. 48m). Many people think it looks like a finger pointing upwards to heaven, reflecting the mystery and wonder of God. The celestial and hopeful gesture of the spire is one reason for its association with religious buildings. It is a familiar and prominent local landmark. |
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A gargoyle is the
projecting carved stone waterspout rather like an ugly-looking head.
It was often used in church architecture and Its purpose is to throw
out the rainwater from the gutter of the church roof, and so to
get it clear of the walls of the building itself. The carvings have
open mouths out of which the water drains. There are four different gargoyles on the bell tower, one on each corner: |
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| Further Information |
|
| Contact the Parish Office 020 8941 6003 |
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| Associated pages on this website: Bell Tower Through the Years: The Proposed Tower and Spire (1885 March .....) | Fancy Fair for Tower and Spire (1891 June) | Clock and Bells (1891 October) | Clock and Bells (1893 January) | Clock and Bells (1894 January) | Pigeons in the Tower (1956 May) | The Tower (1960 March) | Our Clock (1970 October) | The Spire (1970 December) | The Spire: a Symbol? (1989 February) | The Renovation of the Church Spire (990 May) |
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