About Us

St James is a friendly local church, with Eucharist-centred worship and a varied social and service programme.  The church dates from 1830 and is a good example of simple late-Georgian architecture.  Thornes Parish Church was built in 1830 to provide for the spiritual needs of our growing population.  The Industrial Revolution was just beginning to gain its full momentum in the West Riding and in the next 40 years the population was seen to double.  St. James was one of the many Churches built in our part of the world between 1830 and 1880.

Mr. Benjamin Gaskill applied for a grant from the Million Fund, a fund established after the battle of Waterloo as a thank-offering, and used to assist in the provision of places of worship where the need arose.  A grant of £1000 was made towards the building of a church at Thornes and apart from a few donations the remainder of the expense was covered by the Gaskill family. 

On Sunday 17th October 1830 the newly completed Church was opened for divine service under the licence of Vernon Harcourt, Archbishop of York.  The morning service was conducted by Reverend S. Sharp, Vicar of Wakefield, and the afternoon service by Reverend Joseph Twentyman who became the first Vicar of Thornes.  The consecration of the Church took place on October 12th in the following year.

Though the Vicar and Curates had been appointed to also serve St. George's, Lupset for many years, we became the joint benefice of Lupset and Thornes in 2022, but retaining our own PCC.

There is a Parish Eucharist at 9.30 am every Sunday and a service every Wednesday at 10.00 am, the first in the month being a Communion Service.

There are two main fundraising events held annually, i.e. a Coffee Morning and Plant Sale in May and the Christmas Fayre in November. Other Coffee Mornings are held on the 4th Saturday in the month, 10.00a.m. to 11.30 a.m.  Proceeds from some Coffee Mornings are sent to charities. There is a Chatty Cafe group who meet in church on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the month, 1.30 p.m. until 3.30 p.m. New members will be most welcome.

See the Services and Events page for full details.