Church of Saint James the Great

The Church of Saint James the Great is a Grade II listed building featuring roughcast walls and slate roofs with coped gables and cross finials. The slim tower has sheer, battered sides and a slightly raised northwest stair tower, which is topped with a corbelled and embattled parapet that leads to a plain parapet at the same level. It has a small slated recessed pyramid roof and late medieval ashlar square-headed bell-lights, with two-light windows on the east and north sides and single-light windows on the west and south. The north side of the stair tower has four loops, while the north side features two cusped lancets and a similar window to the west. The nave has three plain two-light windows from 1890 on the north side, with an elliptical arched doorway between the first and second windows, and three more on the south side. The chancel includes one window each on the north and south sides, along with a stepped triplet window on the east. The battered wall base suggests that some medieval fabric remains.

Inside, the walls are plastered, and the roofs are boarded and panelled, also from 1890. The pointed chancel arch has sides that step in at the bases. The tower base is stone-vaulted, pointed, and plastered, with a northwest stair door leading to a stone square winding stair. The windows feature segmental pointed relieving arches. The church contains 1890 pews, a timber open-fronted Gothic pulpit on a stone base, iron and brass rails, and patterned floor tiles. The north door is dated 1551 and 1890 in nailheads, while there is a blocked south door. Early 20th-century panelled stalls have quatrefoil friezes. A notable feature is the large white marble font from 1761, believed to be from Italy, which has an oval deep bowl with a recessed band and moulded cornice on an octagonal stem with a rounded octagonal ring and a moulded octagonal splayed base. An early 19th-century ogee timber font-cover with a cross finial is also present. The east window contains stained glass from 1894 by A. Savell & Co of London, depicting the Ascension with Saints James, Peter, John, and Mary.

Memorials within the church include a nave east marble plaque with a grey stone reeded surround and arms on the base dedicated to David Paynter of Pembroke (died 1802), Joshua Paynter of Dale (died 1805), and Mary Paynter (died 1815). There is a gothic plaque on the south side of the nave for David Runwa Paynter (died 1864), created by King of Bath, and a marble scroll for T.M. Davies of Broomhill (died 1865) by Wood of Bristol. In the chancel, a neo-Grec plaque in slate and two colours of marble commemorates John Lloyd of Mabws and Dale Castle (died 1820), John Allen Lloyd (died 1805), and Henry Lloyd-Philipps (died 1826).