St James the Great Church
St James the Great Church, East Hill, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2QL
There has been a church on this site for 900 years. The chancel and its chapels were described by the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as 'the best Perpendicular work in Colchester' and date to the period 1450-1500. It has historical associations with the radical preacher John Ball who was one of the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. The churchyard was used to hold Royalist soldiers who surrendered to the Parliamentarian army at the end of the Siege of Colchester in 1648.
The interior contains several funerary monuments, including the brasses of John Maynard (d. 1569) and his wife Alice (d. 1584) and a large marble effigy of the philanthropist Arthur Winsley (d. 1727) by Richard van Spangen in 1738. Winsley left money in his will for the creation of almshouses in Old Heath Road which are still in use. There are also two memorial hatchments to the Boggis family, who owned the nearby house The Minories. The church has two large paintings, 'The Last Supper' by James Archer (1855) and 'The Adoration of the Shepherds' by George Carter (1778), which was fully restored in 2023. There is also a First World War memorial to the soldiers of the 18th Eastern Division, which includes a book of remembrance.
In the churchyard is a memorial to Captain Michael Martin who contracted polio whilst serving in Cyprus in 1960 and whose subsequent death was raised in the House of Commons by Colchester's MP Anthony Buck..
Timings
- Saturday 12 September:
- 0930-1600
- Sunday 13 September:
- 1200-1600
Location & directions
St James the Great Church, East Hill, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2QL
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
Steps to the front of the church from East Hill.
Additional information
Other buildings open nearby for Heritage Open Days on the same day are Colchester Castle (Saturday 12 September only), Roman Theatre (Maidenburgh Street), 7 Queen Street (The Brewhouse), St Peter's Church (North Hill) and Peake's House (East Stockwell Street).
