Island Life Magazine Ltd October/ November 2012 | Page 51

FEATURE

Mark Fox continues his look at Island
churches by visiting West Wight
Standing at the entrance to
Yarmouth’s main street are two
churches – one Methodist, dating
from 1881, the other is the Anglican
church of St James’, dating from
1626. They provide a suitably
impressive welcome to this beautiful
and historic town.
The first thing that impresses
itself on the visitor to St. James’ is
the tower. It is a well established
landmark for those travelling by land
as well as by sea. Given Yarmouth’s
historic importance as a port and now
as a harbour the tower must provide
many a weary sailor a welcome sight.
The upper half of the tower, with its
distinctive tall lancet belfry lights and
battlemented top, was added in 1831
by local resident D. A. Alexander.
In the tower there is a working
clock. It was installed in 1679 by
Nicholas Paris of Warwick. Also in
the tower is one bell. Like the clock it
too is over 300 years old and still in
regular use.
Inside the church is quite dark, but
there is much beautiful stained glass
that is worth noticing, in particular
the East Window by C. A. Gibbs.

This is a striking representation of
Christ blessing children, which was
installed in 1867.
To the side of the main church there
is a peaceful Lady Chapel. This quiet
space was created in 1948. The altar
in this chapel was designed by Sir
Charles Nicholson who incorporated
a copy of a Raphael picture in the
reredos – the picture behind the altar.
The font and pulpit both date
from 1873; the lectern dates from
1875. However, the really interesting
feature in the middle of the church is
the small egg timer style hour glass.
The hour glass is over 250 years old
and the bracket which holds it is
even older, dating back to 1626. The
running of the sand in the hour glass
would have been a very powerful
reminder to the Rector to keep his
sermons succinct and his services on
time.
The church’s organ is particularly
interesting. It was bought
second-hand in 1897 from the
Bournemouth Arcade for £217 and
installed in the church. It was moved
to its current position in the gallery in
1959. It was built by Henry Speechly
& Son of Dalston.
Throughout the church are dotted
memorials to various local prominent
families, including several generations
of Holmes’s who served as Governors
of the Island. As with many living
places of worship the old and the new
co-exist happily. This is an old church
with many points of historic interest,
but in one corner there is a well
stocked children’s area with toys and
books, making a happy play area and
clearly showing the next generation
of the town’s children are welcome
in this ancient place of worship. In
another corner there is a well used
and much valued lending library.

The Anglican church of St James'

(Acknowledgements and thanks go to the official
history guide of St. James’ Church, the National Pipe
Organ Register: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/
Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N09741, and to
Nikolaus Pevsner

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