St James' Church, Altham

The church was founded in 1140, and was dedicated to Saint Mary. The earliest fabric in the present church dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. The tower was built in 1859, when the chancel was rebuilt; these and other alterations were made by Thomas Hacking. In 1881 a chapel was rebuilt by the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin.

St James' Church is constructed in sandstone rubble, and has a stone slate roof. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, a two-bay chancel, and a west tower. The tower is short and is in three stages; its architectural style is Perpendicular. It has an arched west doorway with a two-light window above it, two-light bell openings, and a battlemented parapet. All the windows on the sides of the church are round-headed with three lights. The south porch is gabled, and incorporates part of a Norman font in one of its side benches. In 2008 the Norman font was removed from the south porch and is displayed inside the church. The design of the font, comprising…