Description

SO 76 NE
3/35
29.7.59

ASTLEY CP
ASTLEY
Church of St Peter

GV
I

Parish church. Mid-late C12 chancel and nave, with east end rebuilt during early C20 and north aisle rebuilt during early C19; C14 west tower and north chapel, early C20 south porch. Red sandstone ashlar, tiled roofs. Two bay chancel, north Blount chapel, three bay nave with wide north aisle and south porch, west tower.

West tower of three stages with two string courses has diagonal buttressing and embattled parapet with replaced C20 crocketed finials (two of former finials now flanking approach to porch). Partly restored Norman nave has string course and corbel tablet with heads and paired heads, two semicircular engaged shafts rise from plinth to string course with double shafts and central spur and continue to corbel table as single shafts, with capitals east of porch; three restored Norman windows also to east and restored trefoiled two-light window to west; doorway, protected by early C20 part timber-framed and heavily restored porch, has double shafts and arch enriched with zig-zag ornament. Chancel has blocked doorway and Norman window to west of later protruding buttress, early C20 two-light window to east.

INTERIOR: restored chancel arch of two plain orders has imbricated ornament and responds of paired columns with nook shafts all with scallop capitals; north wall of chancel contains original Norman window now enclosed by later north chapel. Arcade of three bays has drum piers and responds with scallop capitals; acutely pointed tower arch of three chamfered orders and responds probably late C14. Nave and chancel roofs probably C19 arch-braced-collar type with moulded members, north aisle has C19 hammer-beam roof.

Fittings: unusual pedestal font probably C14 with octagonal bowl has large paired petalled motif to each facet and heavily moulded top; Jacobean pulpit. North Blount chapel contains two polychrome C16 tomb chests with recumbent effigies in contemporary dress, that to the north commemorates Robert Blount who died 24th May 1573 and his wife Anne, figures of children in low relief bearing name labels decorate the sides of the tomb, on the west side is inscribed "Jhon Gildon of Hereforde made this towmes anno domini 1577". The second tomb on the south is similar and commemorates Walter Blount (1561) and his wife Isabel (1562-3). On north wall are two wall monuments, the eastern one to Thomas Winford of c1702, a good example in white marble with garlands, putti and obelisks executed by John Bacon. West tower contains two hatchments.

Listing NGR: SO7876267619

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530295

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House