[1] The church is located in the historic quarter of the town, near Poole Harbour.

The church is named for Saint James, Poole having once been medieval departure point for those embarking for mainland Europe to proceed on the Camino de Santiago.

[2] A church has stood on this spot for around 800 years but at the start of the 19th century, with the wealth of the Newfoundland trade, local merchants and dignitaries subscribed to rebuilding in the Georgian style, which is what we see today.

The church used another burial site at Hunger Hill and, after 1855, the new municipal cemetery at Oakdale.

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.