Heritage Open Day: St James the Less and St Helen's was completed in 1837. It is a good example of a relatively early Roman Catholic church in England by one of the leading Roman Catholic architects of the day. The church is known simply to the local Catholic community as 'Priory Street'. It was built shortly after Roman Catholics were granted the freedom to worship openly in 1829. Its architect Joseph John Scoles (1798–1863) was an exponent of the Gothic Revival style and the designer of many Roman Catholic churches during the period 1832-1860. St James the Less was one of his earlier works, and his design and materials were heavily influenced by the nearby St Botolph's Church, which opened in the same year.
'Priory Street' was enlarged by the Colchester architect C. E.