Astley Abbotts
| Astley Abbotts | |
|---|---|
 St Calixtus's Church |
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 Astley Abbotts
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| Astley Abbotts shown within Shropshire | |
| Population | 396 |
| OS grid reference | SO 71152 96327 |
| Civil parish |
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| 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 |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Astley Abbotts is a village and civil parish in immediately north of Bridgnorth, straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley road, located in Shropshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 396.
The Church inside the village is known as St Calixtus' church, named after Saint Calixtus. 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. Since then, the majority of the church has been rebuilt. However, the Church of England in Bridgnorth comment that there are still parts of the older church that still exist today. 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. The one at Astley Abbotts has a ribbon-like piece of paper saying, in still legible handwriting, that it commemorates Hannah Phillips, who unfortunately drowned while crossing the River Severn a day or two before her wedding.
Astley Abbotts is famous for its lavender fields in the centre of the village near the church. Nearby the village is located a mansion called Stanley Hall with both Stanley Hall and its grounds having links to early 17th century, 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.
An early recognition of a change within the boundary of Astley Abbotts can be seen in the history of the parish of Linley. In 1639 it is believed that sometime Linley’s parish boundary may have included some fields that were later in located Astley Abbotts. Along with this, owners of a nearby bridge named Preen’s Eddy Bridge, built new 1 km section of straight road that ran through Astley Abbotts. Another lane also went through Astley Abbotts until it reached the Severn located in Astley Abbotts. Due to the river being the main outlet for trade, Astley Abbotts played a big part in Linley’s industrial trade. As a result of this a railway was built from Linley to the wharf located in Astley Abbotts.
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Wikipedia