SAVE OUR SPIRE
St James Church, North Cray, Sidcup, DA14 5EQ
History of St James Church
The present church of St James (English Heritage, Grade II Listed) stands on a site dating back to Saxon times. The church was considerably improved by the Rev. Edgell Wyatt-Edgell in 1837 who filled the church with a series of beautiful carvings. From the 1800s repairs to the church were paid for by subscriptions from the principal residents, during which time the church was enlarged multiple times and rebuilt to reflect the growing community. St James Church houses three bells in the belfry, the oldest of which dates to 1727 and the church also survived damage by enemy action in WW2 with the final repairs taking place in 1953.
‘The church has stood as a part of the fabric of North Cray, more often as you walk by you take it to always be there as a part of belonging to the local area. Some people cherish the church for what it gives back to them personally as well as being a focal point for meeting people who are what makes the community what it is. Given the passage of time, like all things, it now needs some greater care and attention, for this reason we are asking those who look upon it with fondness, be those special occasions, events, or more poignant moments to give something back.
The church spire fixes the church when you look from the surrounding areas and without it the church would quickly cease to be able to function as it does. In keeping with tradition, the church spire is made of thousands of individual cedar tiles, much like a community comprising many people, the restoration of which demands more funds than the church itself has at its disposal. This is where you can play a part in participating toward restoring the church so that future generations will benefit from it being ever present. The next time you walk by take a moment to look up at the spire and consider its wonderful form and the fact that it is ever watchful over North Cray.
How to get Involved
Should you wish to be a part of the restoration of the spire we would be eternally grateful if would consider contributing towards the work. The funds needed to provide a new cedar spire would be nearly £40,000 which is a considerable sum, we intend to hold several fundraising events as well as asking for donations to increase the church funds that have already been earmarked for the replacement of the spire.
The way in which you could do this would be by scanning the QR code or sending a cheque payable to St. James North Cray PCC, post to: Suzy Higgs, Churchwarden, 91 The Grove, Sidcup DA14 5NG