This
photo was taken standing towards the rear of St James' nave, looking
towards the chancel. The southern arcade in the nave is plainly older
and less skillfully built than the northern. Possibly what happened
is that the northern arcade became unsafe or collapsed and had to
be rebuilt in the 14th century, in a much more elegant style, while
the southern one remains as it was first built.
The nave
roof is unusual in that one single slope covers both nave and side
aisle. Whether this was the original design, or whether there was
once a low clerestory, removed in one of the many restorations which
have taken place over the centuries, it is now impossible to say.
Most
medieval English churches had a stairway leading to the top of the
hoodscreen, from which it was customary to read the gospel at Mass.
While the majority have now been blocked or removed, that at Newbottle
is still complete. The present screen, however, which does contain
some medieval tracery, has been remade too low to serve this purpose.
The oak
pulpit is dated 1584, with initials F.B.V. Before the re-ordering
of the church the priest's reading desk stood below it, with the Clerk's
desk in front of that, in the traditional three-decker manner.
Near
to it now, in the north aisle, and in front of the war memorial record,
is a medieval Spanish chest, brought here from Spain, with the more
elaborate of the two sanctuary chairs, by the Earl of Birkenhead.
The chest has a double lid, and the outer lid, when raised, shows
a painted head of Christ, which may mean that it was designed to be
a portable altar.
