St James' Church, Longborough

St James’ Church stands at the heart of Longborough, a Gloucestershire village where the Cotswold hills begin. Built mainly in the 12th century, it keeps fragments from that time yet shows later centuries clearly. A west tower was added in the 13th, a chantry chapel in the 14th, and a Sezincote Chapel in the 19th. The church is listed Grade I for its historic fabric and its careful mix of styles. The church records an early tragedy: in 1192 a priest was murdered inside. The Leigh aisle, with its flamboyant 14th-century style, holds the grand tomb of Sir William Leigh who died in 1631. The Sezincote Chapel was built by Charles Robert Cockerell in Perpendicular style for the family of Sezincote House. Six bells hang in the tower, the oldest from 1680, and a Nicholson organ from 1903 still sounds after a 2002 overhaul. Inside, the nave’s south wall carries medieval glass and 19th-century pews. The octagonal 14th-century font remains in use. A bellcote at the east end of the nave roof holds the Sanctus bell. Outside, a Grade II monument marks Samuel Rowsham and a Commonwealth war grave lies to the west.