St Mary the Virgin, Astley, next to the castle was also open. I did visit the church quite a few years ago now but as a service was due to start I only had about 15 minutes to look round. I can't say I spent much longer in the church last Saturday but fortunately I remembered what I had missed the first time! Although I still forgot the tiles!
A church has existed on the site from 1285 and then a collegiate church was built in 1343 by Sir Thomas Astley of the castle. The college dissolved in 1545 and its church became neglected. Materials were stolen over the years and tower fell c1600.
In 1607 Richard Chamberlaine decided to re-establish it as a parish church and was responsible for building the present West Tower and Chancel.
The church was restored by F C Penrose in 1876.
Paintings of Apostles and Prophets date back to 1624.
The misericords are C14th and have carvings of foliage, a dog, a boar and a wyvern, possibly by the carver who carved those at Worcester Cathedral in 1379.
The church once had a spire and was called "The Lantern of Arden" as it was a familiar landmark and guided travellers in the surrounding Forest of Arden.
The pulpit is late C17th.
The nave wall paintings of scriptural texts date back to c1610.
The Chancel
Late C16th Flemish Triptych on the altar.
Some of the chancel and nave windows contain fragments of C14th glass.
I haven't been able to find any information on the age of the font.
The Talbot's crest in oak on an iron bracket may relate to the tomb with the effigies.
Three alabaster effigies - Sir Edward Grey, Cecily Bonneville and possibly Elizabeth Talbot.
c1400 brass containing fragments of a woman.
Book of Condolence for the Queen in the chancel.
This track leads to an ancient holloway which I explored on a previous visit.
Sadly and annoyingly we haven't been able to go to Herefordshire. The extensive renovation and building work next door has been noisy and problematic. I won't go into details but work was started without the party wall agreement giving 2 months' notice that work was about to begin. We insisted on this agreement being prepared to protect our property which meant a surveyor visit. The plans in the agreement are not those which were given planning permission so we've been on to the Planning Department but are still waiting to hear. The horrid news is that under the Party Wall Act we have to allow them to put scaffolding up on the patio although once up they will have to access it from their side and it will be screened but security wise it is worrying. In fact the whole thing is turning into a bigger nightmare than even I envisaged.
I also strained a muscle in my lower back - thankfully now better! and E has needed a lift to the station morning and evening as she is working in a different place this week.
Hopefully we can escape to the caravan for a few days soon!
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked *D by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate most of my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would appreciate an email first - thanks).
Reference: The Buildings of England Warwickshire by C Pickford and N Pevsner, Yale University Press, 2016
Church guidebook
12 comments:
lovely visit to the church.
I empathise with you and all the unrequired disruption and noise. For over a year I found myself as a filling in a building site sandwich as works went on simultaneously on two sides.
What a lovely church - especially those fragments of early 14th C glass - they are so delicate and look just like paintings. The Misericords are lovely too and the painted Scriptural texts. Wonderful they have survived.
I am very sorry that the building work is so intrusive - I'd have put my house on the market the minute I saw the planning had been put in for, but we're all different. I hope that the Planning Office comedown on them like a ton of bricks for building something NOT agreed to with the Planning Dept. They should do.
Lovely memories... And it is why I ended up buying a detached
The Quacks of Life - Thanks Pete believe me when we do move it will be to a detached property! Now have more money that when we first got married!
The church looks wonderful especially the screen paintings and carvings. Sorry to hear that you hurt your back and hope all is well now. The building work sounds horrendous and just when you could do with escaping for a while it isn't safe to do so. Goodness knows what they would try to do if you weren't there. How unsettling it must be for all of you:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. Yes thanks back was fine after about a week or so. Just uncomfortable for a while. I dread to think to but we need to try and go for a few days before end of month when they have their perishing right of access. Once scaffolding is up I don't see us going too much unless D stays here. At end of day they shouldn't be working at all as Party Wall Agreement has to be issued 8 weeks before they start and it wasn't. Only way we can stop them though is to take out an injunction - more cost and stress! What annoys me is the incovenience were are suffering and we will gain nothing from it after a year except for the sight of a massively over extended house adjoining us!
Now that is a beautiful church pity the spire was not rebuilt it would have looked amazing. The was art inside is well worth the visit and the stained glass is just beautiful. It really does retain a lot of its past
Billy Blue Eyes - thanks so much. Yes it is a shame about the spire. I think it may be in the Simon Jenkins 1000 Best Churches book although not sure and don't have book to hand.
I am sorry to hear about your property woes. I hope everything turns out OK for you.
CherryPie - Thank you for your very kind words.
What a church, it really is worth a visit with all those features to see and the stained glass if beautiful
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. It is a rather interesting church and I was glad to get the chance to return to it as I missed so much the first time.
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