| Astley Abbotts | |
|---|---|
 St Calixtus's Church | |
  Astley Abbotts Location within Shropshire | |
| Population | 396 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SO 71152 96327 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIDGNORTH |
| Postcode district | WV16 |
| Dialling code | 01746 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Astley Abbotts is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located immediately north of Bridgnorth, and straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley road. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 396.[1]
The Church inside the village is known as St Calixtus' church, named after Saint Calixtus.[2] The church is a stone building and has both Norman and Anglo Saxon roots. The church was originally constructed in 1138 and was later consecrated on 14 October 1138, by the Bishop of Hereford.[2] Since then, the majority of the church has been rebuilt.[2] However, the Church of England in Bridgnorth comment that there are still parts of the older church that still exist today.[2] Inside the Church can be found the faded remains of a 'maiden's garland', a heart-shaped wooden frame decorated with gloves, cloth and ribbons. Such garlands were once the fashion to commemorate maidens who died before marriage.[2] The one at Astley Abbotts has a ribbon-like piece of paper saying, in still legible handwriting, that it commemorates Hannah Phillips,[2] who unfortunately drowned while crossing the River Severn a day or two before her wedding.[3]
Astley Abbotts was famous for its lavender fields in the centre of the village near the church, now abandoned, although some lavender still can be found. Nearby the village is located a mansion called Stanley Hall[2] with both Stanley Hall and its grounds having links to early 17th century,[4] Stanley Hall has a magnificent red brick building with a gabled end and incorporating traces of a possibly earlier sandstone building. The grounds, which open occasionally under the National Gardens Scheme, are extensive and well-tended.
- ^ a b "Parish Headcounts". 2001 Census: Key Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "About St Calixtus, Astley Abbotts". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "A Tragic Tale". Haunted Shropshire. Shropshire Tourism. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ^ "Stanley Hall, Astley Abbots, Shropshire, England". Parks & Gardens UK. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.