Astley Abbots, Shropshire
Historical Description
Astley-Abbots, a village and a parish in Salop, on the river Severn, 1½ mile S of Linley station on the G.W.R., and 2½ miles N of Bridgnorth, which is the post town. Acreage, 3325; population, 609. Stanley Hall is the chief residence. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford; net value, £137. The church is ancient, partly Norman; the chancel was rebuilt in 1633, and the nave and steeple in 1857-; it contains a Norman font and a richly carved pulpit.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
Ancient County | Salop | |
County Court district | Bridgnorth | |
Diocese | Hereford | |
Hundred | Stottesden | |
Petty-Sessional Division | Bridgnorth | |
Poor Law union | Bridgnorth |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
Findmypast, in association with the Shropshire Archives have the Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, and Burials online for Astley Abbots
The register dates from the year 1561.
Churches
Church of England
St. Calixtus (parish church)
The church of St. Calixtus, erected in 1138, is a building of stone in the Norman and Decorated styles, and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a small western tower with spire containing 3 bells: there is a richly carved Jocobean pulpit, a font of Norman date and in the east window some remains of ancient glass; there is also a small stained window in the tower: the chancel was rebuilt in 1633, and the nave and tower in 1857, when 3 bells were hung, the porch built, the western gallery taken down and the tower arch opened to the church: the interior has also been refitted.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Astley Abbots from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Astley, Abbots)
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Shropshire (Salop) is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Astley Abbots are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Shropshire newspapers online:
- Shrewsbury Chronicle
- Wellington Journal
- Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales
- Ludlow Advertiser
- Salopian Journal
Visitations Heraldic
The Visitation of Shropshire, 1623 is available on the Heraldry page.