Church of St James, Cameley

The Church of St James stands in the quiet Somerset village of Cameley. Built in the late 12th century, it is a Grade I listed building now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. The church is dedicated to St James of Compostela and was declared redundant in 1980. Its red Mendip stone tower, restored in the 19th century, contrasts with the blue lias limestone of the rest of the building. Inside, fragments of wall paintings survive from the 12th to the 17th centuries, including a rare image of a jester with a hare-lip and forked tongue. The church holds evidence of royal and noble connections. The north post of the chancel arch bears the three lions of the Royal Arms of England, suggesting royal patronage. On the south post is a coat of arms linked to the St Maur family, later known as the Seymour family. Almeric de St Maur, master of the Knights Templar in England, signed Magna Carta, linking Cameley to Temple Cloud and the Knights Templar. A fine early-17th-century Ten Commandments board, framed in twining leaves with cherubs, remained hidden behind whitewash until the 1960s. The west gallery dates from 1711 with Jacobean-style balusters and a Charles I coat of arms. The south gallery is from 1819. Two early-19th-century monuments to the Rees-Mogg family stand on the north wall, alongside a brass plaque for the nine villagers who died in the First World War. The churchyard contains several Grade II listed monuments. Surrounded by trees, the church offers a peaceful place to see history preserved in stone and paint.