According to John Alsop (1828-1909), this watercolour (now in Birmingham City Archives) was "executed on 15 June 1878, the day on which they commenced taking down this old church." When he returned some years later he lamented the changes: "I do not like these so-called restorations; they are generally alterations and differ from the original. The old bell-tower was unique."
This watercolour, and one by Alan E Everitt (Birmingham City Archives f33276) shows the view of the church, from the north west. It seems likely that these were worked up from drawings made during the walking expedition to Packington, Maxstoke and Coleshill on 30 June 1877 undertaken by nine ladies and twenty-eight members of the Birmingham and Midland Institute, (trans. BMI Archeological Section, 1881 for 1877, p.53):
"Travelling in carriages to Stonebridge, the members walked thence over the fields to Little Packington church, a small and quaint norman building, pleasantly situated on the borders of the earl of Aylesford's park... The walk was resumed along lane and fields to Maxstoke abbey, where Mr Holliday described the results of the excavations... From thence the members walked to Coleshill, where tea was provided. After a visit to the church and a ramble through the town, the carriages were again called into service, and a pleasant drive to Birmingham brought the expedition to a close."
Traditional style stage coaches, by this time much reduced in the long distance passenger trade, were often in use for carrying excursioning parties from Birmingham, and a photograph exists of one in Coleshill High Street.
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