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We offer daily services and a cultural programme of talks, events and concerts. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
Revd Dr Ayla Lepine met with curator and art historian Alayo Akinkugbe for a conversation about justice, beauty and hope expressed in Che Lovelace’s paintings and Cugoano’s memorial.
St James’s hosts inclusive services and a cultural programme. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
St James’s is a place to explore, reflect, pray, and support all who are in need. We are a Church of England parish in the Anglican Communion. This is a place for everyone who’s wondering about life’s big questions and striving for a better world.
We host a year-round cultural programme encompassing music, visual art and spoken word, drawing on St James’s rich cultural history including artists, writers and musicians Mary Beale, Mary Delany, William Blake, Ottobah Cugoano and Leopold Stokowski.
We try to put our faith into action by educating ourselves and speaking out on issues of injustice, especially concerning refugees, asylum, earth and racial justice, and LGBTQ+ issues.
We aspire to be a home where everyone can belong. We’re known locally and globally for our unique history and beauty, as well as faith in action, creativity and the arts, and a commitment to social and environmental justice.
We strive to be a Eucharist-centred, diverse and inclusive Christian community promoting life in abundance, wellbeing and dignity for all.
St James’s Piccadilly has been at the heart of its community since 1684. We invite you to play your part in securing this historic place for generations to come.
It costs us £3,500 per day to enable us to keep our doors open to all who need us
Your donation will help us restore our garden in Piccadilly as part of The Wren Project, making it possible for us to welcome over 300,000 people from all faiths and walks of life seeking tranquillity and inspiration each year.
St James's Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL
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Grinling Gibbons: The Michelangelo of Woodcarving showcases Gibbons’ masterpieces, including the reredos, font, and organ case at St James’s. Discover Gibbons’ intricate baroque sculptures and hear from leading curators and craftsmen about his lasting impact.
Dive into the history and artistry that make St James’s a cultural treasure in central London in this film produced by St James’s in association with the Grinling Gibbons Society, April 2021, made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Grinling Gibbons is probably England’s most famous woodcarver. From 1671 to 1721 he moulded and shaped wood into the most memorable creations.
His trademark baroque sculptures are instantly recognisable: a cascade of flowers, fruits, leaves, fish and birds that captivate the viewer with their intricacy.
In an exceptional career, Gibbons was appointed as master carver to George I and William III and collaborated with Sir Christopher Wren on numerous projects focusing on architectural decoration. His work can be seen at Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, St Paul’s Cathedral, the National Trust’s Petworth House as well as at St James’s Church.
Here we have three unique examples of Gibbons’ work: a marble font (where Ottobah Cugoano and William Blake were baptised), a limewood reredos and an organ case.
To explore the power of these sculptures, St James’s has filmed curators, a sculptor, a woodcarver and a master carver discussing Gibbons’ enduring legacy. Join leading curators from the Wallace Collection, Royal Academy of Arts and Victoria and Albert Museum for a film about England’s most eminent woodcarver.
