Church Of St James

The Church of St James, located in Great Packington, was built in 1789 by Joseph Bonomi for the 4th Earl of Aylesford. It is constructed of red brick with sandstone dressings and features a plain-tiled roof with a scrolled modillion eaves cornice. The church has four corner towers, which are finished in stone ashlar above the eaves and topped with drumless domes that include two lunettes and a ball finial. The building has a central plan shaped like a cross within a square, with symmetrical elevations that each display a broken pediment above a large tripartite lunette. The doorway on the west wall is framed by a stone surround and has a flat narrow canopy supported by console brackets, leading to panelled double doors.

Inside, the vaults and walls are faced with painted ashlar. The groin centre and corner vaults are complemented by tunnel vaults in the side bays. The central groin vault is supported by Greek Doric columns that have entasis and a red sandstone triglyph frieze. A painting of the IHS sign in clouds, created by J.F. Rigaud, is featured in a white marble pedimented altarpiece. The communion rail is also made of white marble and has symmetrically turned balusters. Notably, the church houses an organ from 1750, which was frequently used by Handel when it was located in the music room at Packington Hall.