Tiny moorland chapel and graveyard built in 1487, situated in the beautiful and rugged landscape of the Longdendale Valley in the Dark Peak. Located 1000ft above sea level the views from the chapel are breathtaking. Having been last used in 2017 by 2020 the building and graveyard were falling into disrepair, however we were lucky enough to have several craftspeople spend 2 summers repairing and renovating both the building and grounds to an exceptional standard. All the original features were retained where possible, and the building was rewired and new sympathetic lighting installed. St James is a simple stone building consisting of the main part of the church which has benches and can seat a maximum of around 40 people. The benches can be moved easily to create a open space. 
There is a small vestry at the rear as well as a small cubicle with a chemical flush toilet as due to the remote location there is no mains water supply or sewer connection. At the back of the church there is a small staircase which leads up to the fairly large gallery/balcony which overlooks the whole interior of the building. There are two arched windows on the front of the building, with simple red and blue stained glass that the sun really catches. 
The floor is parquet wood blocks, and the lower walls of the interior are wood panelled from what were the pew doors before they changed to the benches in 1905. The graveyard is surprisingly large and many of the headstones are in very good condition and still legible- they tell some very sad stories of life on the moors in the 17/18/1900’s. Many of the Navvies that died building the first Woodhead Tunnels in 1845 as well as the chain of 5 Longdendale Reservoirs about 5 years later are buried in unmarked graves in the field behind the dry stone wall of the official graveyard apparently as a result of attitudes at the time - them being Catholic and the Church of England not allowing them to be buried in one of their graveyards.