The Cockle Shell

The first vicarage, a large gabled building built in 1864, was funded mainly by the first incumbent and his wife, the Revd. and Mrs. Fitz Wygram. The garden, which was used for parish occasions, extended for much of the length of St. James’s Road, which is now occupied by twelve detached houses, beyond which were the original vicarage coach house and stables.

The present vicarage was built in 1937 and is next door to the church in St. James’s Road. It is a five bedroomed detached house that stands in its own garden with a separate garage. Over the vicarge door is a cockle shell. Cockle shells were adopted as symbols of St. James from Medieval times up until the present day.

The present vicarage garden, which is adjacent to the church hall lawn, is a greatly valued amenity that is used for parish occasions as an outdoor space in which to congregate for special events, such as the summer party and barbecue for St. James’s Day.

The P.C.C. has become involved in some maintenance and repair works, formerly undertaken by the Parsonages Board, for which the P.C.C. is now responsible.

Historical Background to St. James's Vicarage
The original vicarage was a large, elegant, gabled, typically Victorian one, which cost almost as much as the church itself. It was built in 1864 next to the church on the same site as the present vicarage, but farther from St. James’s Road down which it faced. There was much controversy when Revd. Harvey decided to sell a large part of the vicarage grounds bordering St. James’s Road for building. This gave rise to much bitterness in the vicinity and several old-established families who lived on the opposite side of the road moved away. With the money gained from the sale Revd. Harvey had the old, rambling and uneconomical vicarage demolished and in 1937 built a new more suitable one which is still in use today.

For a more detailed account, read the page The History of the Vicarage.