History and buildings of St Philip & St James', Leckhampton, Cheltenham

Before 1840 the whole of Leckhampton had been served by St. Peter's Church, Leckhampton. On 1st May 1840 the church of St Philip & St James was consecrated as a daughter church of St Peter's and a Priest in Charge was approved. In 1869, St Philip & St James was granted separate parish status, and the first Vicar was appointed in May of that year.

Ten years later, the existing church was found to be too small for the expanding parish and the present church was built around the existing one by partly rebuilding and extending it. This work took three years. In May 1882 the present building was consecrated by the Bishop, but the building had no spire - the proposed one had been found to be beyond the bearing capacity of the foundations. In 1903 the 'saddleback' tower was built in place of the spire and dedicated.

The new church had been built over the burial ground and in 1963 a Columbarium was built in the crypt where ashes of the departed can rest. The Columbarium at St Philip & St James' was the first of its kind in the country.

In 1965 St Christopher's, Warden Hill was built as a daughter church. Church House, in Painswick Road but next door to St Philip & St James', was purchased in 1968. It now houses the Church Office and its ground floor rooms are used by organisations and individuals. St James', Suffolk Square was de-consecrated in 1974 and the parish incorporated into St Philip & St James'. St James' became the Parish Centre and remained so until recently.

Pre-1881 memorial inscriptions from St Philip & St James' and pre-1876 inscriptions from St James' Suffolk Square are available from the Gloucestershire Genealogy website.