Church of St. James the Great, Sedgley

The Church of St James the Great stands in Lower Gornal, a district of Sedgley in the West Midlands. Built between 1815 and 1817, it opened for use in 1823. Thomas Lee designed the church, using local yellow stone with slate and tile roofs. In 1837 two porches were added, and in 1849 a chancel was fitted. The chancel was rebuilt in 1899, and an organ installed at the same time. The church received Grade II listed status on 11 March 1996. Ninian Comper designed the north window of the apse in 1902. The tower’s top section was rebuilt in 1930. It belongs to the Anglican Diocese of Worcester and is distinct from St James’s Church at Eve Hill in Dudley, about two miles away. Inside, visitors find a simple nave with added porches and a chancel. The rebuilt chancel holds the organ installed in 1899. Comper’s stained-glass window in the apse’s north side catches the light. The yellow stone walls and slate roof give the interior a warm, local character. The tower’s rebuilt top section rises above the surrounding houses.