Astley Abbotts
Encyclopedia
Astley Abbotts is a village and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
. According to the 2001 census
the parish had a population of 396.
It is famous for its lavender
fields in the centre of the village near the church.
Astley Abbotts is a pleasant parish immediately north of Bridgnorth
, straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley
road. The church in the village of Astley Abbotts is dedicated to St. Calixtus who was a Bishop of Rome martyred in the 3rd century. Inside 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 drowned while crossing the River Severn
on the eve of her wedding.
Nearby is Stanley Hall, 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. Unfortunately, the house is not open to the public, especially as many believe it to be one of the finest homes in the county.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the parish had a population of 396.
It is famous for its lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
fields in the centre of the village near the church.
Astley Abbotts is a pleasant parish immediately north of Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
, straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley
Broseley
Broseley is a small town in Shropshire, England with a population of 4,912 . The River Severn flows to the north and east of the town. Broseley has a town council and is part of the area controlled by Shropshire Council. The first iron bridge in the world was built in 1779 to link Broseley with...
road. The church in the village of Astley Abbotts is dedicated to St. Calixtus who was a Bishop of Rome martyred in the 3rd century. Inside 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 drowned while crossing the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
on the eve of her wedding.
Nearby is Stanley Hall, 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
National Gardens Scheme
The National Gardens Scheme, was founded in 1927 in England with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to the public for charity". Originally, the money was raised to provide pension support for district nurses; 609 private gardens were opened and £8,191 was raised.Over...
, are extensive and well tended. Unfortunately, the house is not open to the public, especially as many believe it to be one of the finest homes in the county.