St James the Greater, Leicester

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St James the Greater, Leicester
St James the Greater, Leicester (geograph 2301982).jpg
St James the Greater, Leicester
Coordinates: 52°37′24.7″N 1°06′54.75″W / 52.623528°N 1.1152083°W / 52.623528; -1.1152083
LocationLeicester
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Websitedlibitum.co.uk/sjg
History
DedicationSt James the Greater
Consecrated25 July 1901
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade II* listed[1]
Architect(s)Henry L Goddard
Groundbreaking28 October 1899
Completed24 September 1914
Administration
ParishSt James, Leicester
DeaneryCity of Leicester
ArchdeaconryLeicester
DioceseDiocese of Leicester

St James the Greater, Leicester is a Grade II* listed[1] parish church in the Church of England in Leicester, Leicestershire.[2] It is located south of the city centre of Leicester, on the London Road (A6), opposite Victoria Park.

It has an active congregation and hosts a variety of events, having two church halls. It is one of Leicester ’s best-known churches, situated on the edge of the City, opposite Victoria Park. It had been threatened with closure in the 50’s but the Reverend Lawrence Jackson, a priest with great charisma who was appointed in 1959 exercised a remarkable ministry. The Church began to fill and had one of the largest congregations in the Diocese by the time Lawrence moved to Coventry in 1965.

The building was a copy of Torcello Cathedral on the Venetian lagoon and had been the inspiration of Bishop Mandell Creighton, Bishop of Peterborough.

History[]

The church was founded as a daughter church of St Peter's Church, Leicester in 1881 and a temporary wooden church was constructed. The current building was erected between 1899 and 1901 to the designs of the architect H L Goddard of Leicester. The foundation stone was laid on 28 October 1899,[3] and it was consecrated on 25 July 1901.[4] The west front was completed between 1911 and 1914 and it was dedicated by the Bishop of Peterborough on 24 September 1914.

It became a parish in its own right on 25 June 1918.

Organ[]

The pipe organ was built by Stephen Taylor. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Church of St James the Greater, London Road (Grade II*) (1361037)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. ^ The Buildings of England. Leicestershire and Rutland. Nikolaus Pevsner. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300096186
  3. ^ "Church Extension in Leicester. The New Church of St James". Leicester Chronicle. Leicester. 4 November 1899. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Church of St James the Greater. Consecration by the Bishop of Peterborough". Leicester Chronicle. Leicester. 27 July 1901. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. ^ "NPOR [R02080]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
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