St Bartholomew's Church, Tong

St Bartholomew's Church, Tong
St Bartholomew's Church, Tong
Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew, Tong The Westminster Abbey of The Midlands
St Bartholomew's church seen from the south
St Bartholomew's Church, Tong Position within Shropshire
52°39′49.9″N 2°18′12.6″W / 52.663861°N 2.303500°W / 52.663861; -2.303500
OS grid reference	SJ795073
Location	Shropshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	St Bartholomew's, Tong, Shropshire
History
Status	parish church
Founder(s)	Isabel Lingen
Dedication	St Bartholomew
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I Listed
Designated	26 May 1955
Architect(s)	Ewan Christian (restoration)
Style	Gothic
Years built	1409–1430
Specifications
Length	103 feet 10 inches (31.65 m)
Nave width	45 feet 11 inches (14.00 m)
Height	25 feet 9 inches (7.85 m)[1]
Materials	New Red Sandstone, Sherwood Sandstone Group[2]
Bells	ring of 6, plus service and bourdon bells
Administration
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Lichfield
Archdeaconry	Salop
Deanery	Edgmond and Shifnal
Parish	Tong
Clergy
Prebendary	The Reverend Prebendary Pippa Thorneycroft (incumbent)
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated	26 May 1955
Reference no.	1053606

The Collegiate Church of St Bartholomew, Tong (also known as St Bartholomew's Church) is a 15th-century church in the village of Tong, Shropshire, England, notable for its architecture and fittings, including its fan vaulting in a side chapel, rare in Shropshire, and its numerous tombs. It was built on the site of a former parish church and was constructed as a collegiate church and chantry on the initiative of Isabel Lingen, who acquired the advowson from Shrewsbury Abbey and additional endowments through royal support. Patronage remained with the lords of the manor of Tong, who resided at nearby Tong Castle, a short distance to the south-west, and the tombs and memorials mostly represent these families, particularly the Vernons of Haddon Hall, who held the lordship for more than a century. Later patrons, mostly of landed gentry origin, added further memorials, including the Stanley Monument which is inscribed with epitaphs said to be specially written by William Shakespeare.

The church was the site of a minor skirmish during the English Civil War and also hosts the grave of Little Nell from Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, despite the character being entirely fictitious. The building is grade I listed and had its lead roof replenished with steel during 2017 to deter thieves. Due to its many monuments inside the church and ornate architecture, it is sometimes labelled as The Westminster Abbey of The Midlands, often featuring as one of the best churches in The Midlands and in England.