St. Peter, Astley, Worcestershire

Description

The Church of St. Peter, which stands on a hill, in the midst of beautiful scenery, is a very fine and ancient building of stone, in the Early Norman style, belonged to the Priory of Astley, appropriated to the monastery of Evereux in Normandy, and consisting of chancel and nave and a lofty embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells: in the north chancel aisle are two tombs with effigies, and a shield of arms, and inscriptions to Walter Blount esq. (1561) and Isabel his wife (1562); in the niches round the tombs are figures of their children, Richard, Francis, Isabel Ann, Elizabeth, Joyce and Margaret; the figure of Elizabeth being at the head and of Margaret at the foot: another monument, with effigies of a knight in armour and his lady, executed, according to the inscription, by John Gildon, of Hereford, represents Robert Blount esq. (1675), and Ann his wife, then living; on the right side of this tomb are white and red roses, on the left are the arms of Acton between the figures of Thomas and Walter Blount: the chancel arch, which is very plain and massive, is considered an unusually fine specimen of Early Norman, and was erected about 1102; the south doorway is coeval with it: there is a marble monument in the churchyard to Miss Frances Ridley Havergal, youngest daughter of Rev. W. H. Havergal, some time rector or this parish, who was born at Astley rectory, and was buried here 3rd June, 1879: the nave, chancel, north aisle and chantry were restored in 1903, at a cost of £2,350: the restoration of the tower and other work was completed in 1907 at a further cost of £1,300: there are 265 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1539.