St James is a Church of England parish church in Poole on the south coast of England, in the ceremonial county of Dorset.

The church is located in the historic quarter of the town, near Poole Quay. It is the parish church for the St James sub district of Poole. R. Mason is the current minister of the church. Today the church is still in use by the local population and has a large playgroup.

The church has long been associated with the local fishing trade and is known locally as 'the fishermen's church'. The church has an unusual weather vane fashioned in the shape of a fish. The church was mostly rebuilt around 1820, in Georgian style, although the effigies inside the church date from the 14th century. The church is seen as a good example of English Georgian religious architecture.

BELL Legend

The church has a long tradition of bell ringing. Local lore has it that during Edward VI's reign, the Duke of Somerset ordered eight bells to be sold in aid of Poole's fortification. Unfortunately the bells were lost at sea during passage to Holland.

St. James' Church is a simplified Gothic Revival style parish church in the Old Town which was totally rebuilt in 1820. The previous church on the site was first mentioned in documents from 1142 and had been extensively rebuilt in the 16th century. Although the reasons for rebuilding the church have been lost in the mists of time it may well have been connected with the discovery of open coffins beneath the church floor which gave rise to some very unpleasant smells.

Rebuilt during the later years of the Newfoundland trade its supporting pillars are unusually made from wood. These pine pillars are said to have been felled in Newfoundland for the masts of ships and were originally covered with plaster and painted to resemble stone. The church contains the mahogany and gilt reredos of 1736 which came from the earlier church.

Previously described as having a large churchyard, it was "fully occupied" with interments and "a piece of garden ground adjoining was purchased in 1773" for use as burial ground. When found to be insufficient for the demand, a large field at Hunger Hill was purchased and consecrated for burials in 1781.

Apart from interments into family plots, it would be safe to assume most burials, services held in St James, to be interred not in the churchyard but at Hunger Hill then, from 1855, in the municipal cemetery of Poole at Oakdale.