St. James's, Spanish Place

St James’s Church stands in George Street, Marylebone, behind the Wallace Collection and close to Marylebone High Street. It is a large English Gothic Catholic church built entirely of stone. The church keeps its link with Spanish Place across the road because of its historic ties to the Spanish Embassy. In the 16th century the Spanish Ambassador used a chapel in Ely Place as a sanctuary for English Catholics. After the embassy moved to Hertford House, a new chapel was built in 1793–96 by Joseph Bonomi on the corner of Spanish Place and Charles Street. The church holds many relics of its Spanish past, including Alfonso XIII’s personal standard above the sacristy door. The present building, designed by Edward Goldie, was opened in 1890 and consecrated in 1949 by Bishop George Craven. A requiem mass for the King of Portugal was attended by Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1908. The church’s archives include baptismal and marriage registers dating back to 1732. Inside, the nave’s stone arches rise to a groined roof without a sense of heaviness. The Gothic chancel has a heptagonal apse with opus sectile panels showing the descent of the Holy Spirit and symbols of the Eucharist. A gilt statue of Saint James the Greater stands high on the wall, while a gold-leaf statue of Our Lady covers all but her red shoes. The church faces west, unlike most buildings, so the priest and people look toward the setting sun. The organ, built in 1922 by A. Hunter & Son, is praised for its fine tone and unusual acoustics.