The following few paragraphs give a very brief overview of the church's history, for the complete and detailed history, you are invited to download a copy of the book "Vicars and Vestments"

St. James’s Parish Church, Congleton can be found at the angle of West Street and Astbury Street. In 1847 the district of Astbury contained a population of three thousand four hundred. Under an act known as ‘Sir Robert Peel’s Church Extension Act’, which was designed to make better provision for the spiritual care of populous parishes, the church of St. James was born.

Randle Wilbraham Esq. High Steward of the Borough laid the first stone, a corner stone, on the 29th May 1847. James Trubshaw of Newcastle under Lyme designed the Church. The principal contractor was Samuel Faram of Odd Rode and Edward Massey of Lawton was responsible for the woodwork. The building was paid for by public subscription and grants from the Chester Diocesan Society, the Incorporated Society and the Church Commissioners. The church was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester Dr Graham on Wednesday 27th January 1849

The style of Architecture is that of the transitional period of early English. A characteristic of this period that is clearly visible is the steep roof forming an equilateral triangle to the doorways and windows. The exterior of the church is constructed of Cloud-side gritstone. The roof is covered with Westmoreland pale green slate. The Church consists of Nave, Side Aisles and Chancel, with a porch at the northern end and a bell-cot surmounting the western end of the Nave roof.

The Nave is seventy-seven feet long and twenty-seven foot wide and is separated from the Side Aisles by five pointed arches on each side supported by six pillars formed of white Hollington stone. The high roof is made from pinewood and the carved braces are supported on stone corbels from the inner walls. The Chancel is paved with encaustic tiles, is thirty feet long, seventeen foot wide and thirty five-foot high and divided from the Nave by a high Chancel Arch formed of Hollington stone.

The pulpit is said to date from about 1600 and is of Belgian origin. It is hexagonal in shape and built of Oak. A side panel shows the figure of Christ holding a chalice and emblems of Evangelists, the Man, the Lion, the Bull and the Eagle can be seen on the four front angles of the pulpit. The East Window is a triple lancet filled with stained glass showing the main events in Christ’s life. The Lectern on the south side of the Nave is made of Brass and represents an eagle with outstretched wings.  The Font, which is located at the rear of the church is made of elaborately carved white Hollington stone.

St. James the Great Parish Church is the only church in Congleton which represents the Anglo Catholic wing of the Church of England and it is fiercely proud of this tradition.

The development of Anglo-Catholicism stretches back to the 1920s when the real influence of the Oxford movement came to St James. The incumbent at that time was the Rev. Thomas Vicars BA and although he purchased vestments, he left it up to the next incumbent Father Thomas William Barker to wear them.

Father Barker was a staunch Anglo catholic and did not have an ‘easy time’ at first being termed ‘High Church’. Father Barker introduced the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament to St James.

Subsequent incumbents introduced Incense and Stations of the Cross during Lent. In short the church has a tradition of Anglo catholic worship stretching over 60 years. To this day this form of worship with all its richness of ceremony is still upheld.

The church currently has a nucleus of devoted worshippers who fiercely protect the traditions of this church. The current vicar, Father Nigel Elbourne is equally keen to preserve those traditions. The church publishes its own Parish magazine, ‘The Shell’ and has flourishing branches of the Mothers Union, the Guild of St Raphael and the Cell of our lady of Walsingham.

Newcomers are always made welcome and are encouraged to join regular worshippers in a cup of coffee after morning mass. We look forward to seeing you there.