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St Calixtus

Astley Abbotts

Shropshire

C12 church with chancel rebuilt in 1633.

Architectural Features

C19 tile roofs, with crested ridge tiles to porch.

EXTERIOR: The exterior, despite being of the C17

C19, is in the Decorated style of the early C14.

The chancel is an important Gothic-survival work, with a bordered stone over the east window inscribed 'AN:DO 1633'.

The studded door is probably also of 1633.

The outer bays have small round-headed Norman windows, and the central bay is blank (the former doorway is only visible inside).

A sill band is on the nave north wall, where there is a round-headed blocked Norman doorway.

The chancel retains its 2-bay hammer-beam roof of 1633, incorporating primitive terms beneath the hammer beams.

The roof rests on big stone corbels, carved with mythical figures including a unicorn, Pegasus, eagle and lion.

The panelled dado in the east wall, continued above the choir stalls on the north and south sides, is also probably of 1633.

The chancel has a C19 tiled floor, with richer decorative tiles, including encaustic tiles, in the sanctuary.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: The plain tub-shaped lead-lined font on a broad pedestal with roll moulding and square base is late Norman.

The Jacobean style pulpit is probably of 1633 like the chancel.

A painted Victorian Royal arms is above the west window.

On the south wall of the chancel is a memorial to Francis Billingsley, killed defending Astley Abbots in the Civil War, in the form of a rectangular tablet with inset slate inscription panel and painted armorial badges around it.

In the nave north wall is a marble 1914-18 war memorial tablet.

Only 2 windows have stained glass.

In the east window is a re-set medieval figure of c1300.

HISTORY: The church is first mentioned in 1138 as a chapel of Morville, and remained a simple nave and chancel throughout the Middle Ages.

The chancel was rebuilt in 1633 (date in east gable), and retains dado and pulpit of that time.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St Callixtus, Astley Abbots, is listed Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * An outstanding dated and well-preserved example of C17 Gothic survival. * Fixtures of special interest including pulpit, chancel dado and medieval glass.