The first recorded mention of this church on the banks of the River Thames is in the year 1170. The old church was rebuilt in 1326 by Richard Rothing, sheriff. After the Great Fire it was rebuilt by Wren between 1676 and 1683 at a cost of 5,357 pounds, 12 shillings and 11 pence. It was restored and repaired on several occasions in the nineteenth century and was struck by a bomb from a German aeroplane in 1917. In 1940 it was hit by a bomb again, but this one did not explode. However, much damage was caused by fire from incendiaries and the building was thoroughly restored in 1954–63.
The term ‘Garlickhythe’ refers to the association of the area with the importation of garlic in medieval times. It means ‘garlic-bank’ or ‘garliclanding’. The church is noted for its novel Wren spire (in common with St Michael, Paternoster Royal; St Stephen’s, Walbrook and St Bride’s). It is 125-feet high, consisting of a plain square tower surmounted by a Renaissance three-stage steeple topped by a weather vane. A projecting clock with a quaint figure of St James was destroyed in the war. The interior of St James, Garlickhythe, is Wren’s highest, now restored to something more like the original than what the Victorians left. The organ is a genuine Father Smith and the pride of the church. The beautifully carved pulpit came from St Michael’s, Queenhythe, when it was demolished in 1875. There are other fine furnishings, most of which came from other churches or are modern. An original bit is the row of eighteenth-century wig pegs at the west end.