St James Church, Shardlow

St James’ Church stands in the village of Shardlow, Derbyshire, as a Grade II listed parish church of the Church of England. The building dates from the early 19th century, when its foundation stone was laid on 14 August 1837 by James Sutton Esq. The architect was Henry Isaac Stevens, and the church was dedicated to Saint James. A brass plate was placed beneath the stone with an inscription recording the event in Latin and noting Queen Victoria’s first year on the throne. The Reverend Nathaniel Palmer Johnson, rector of Aston, oversaw the project. The partly completed church suffered storm damage on 1 July 1838 when lightning struck the structure. Despite this setback, the church was consecrated on 9 April 1839 by the Bishop of Ripon. It belongs to a joint parish that includes six churches across Derbyshire and Leicestershire. The organ, built by J.W. Walker in 1868, remains a notable feature inside. A long-case clock with a ten-foot pendulum was installed in 1852 by Reuben Bosworth of Nottingham. Inside, the church contains simple pews arranged around the Walker organ, which fills the west end with sound. The tall pendulum clock stands near the entrance, its movement governed by the 10 ft 4 in rod. The brick walls and large windows give the interior a calm, light atmosphere. Outside, the churchyard holds gravestones that record the lives of local families over many decades. The building sits close to the Trent and Mersey Canal, linking it to the region’s waterway heritage.