St James Church, Poole - interior

Poole's parish church.

This massive building replaced an earlier church built in 1142. It is partly in neo-gothic style, but has a very plain exterior.

The older church was demolished in 1819 and this building was erected in the following year. Its interior space is large, delightful and unusual. The columns supporting the roof are not of stone or brick, but of pine; they were transported on Poole sailing brigs from Trinity, Newfoundland.

The flags are of historical interest: the Union Flag (furthest away on right hand side) was the first British flag to fly in Paris after its liberation in August 1944. Opposite it is an American flag, which flew on board an American coastguard cutter based in Poole which participated in the Normandy landings of June 1944.