St Mary

MATERIALS: Mainly of coursed local grey siltstone, except for the porch of hand-moulded brick, and clay tile roof with ridge tiles.

The door, which has strap hinges enriched by horseshoe scrolls of the late C12, has scratched dates of 1738 and 1739.

In the west wall is a square-headed 2-light C16 window with cusped lights.

INTERIOR: Interior walls are plastered, except for the encaustic-tile panelling around the sanctuary.

The nave floor is C19 black and red tiles, with raised wood floors to the pews and choir stalls, and raised stone-paved floor to the west end.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: The north chapel was built to display the monument to Sir Whitmore Acton , which fills the north wall.

Inspired by the pattern books of Batty Langley, it is one of the earliest monuments to mix rococo and Gothic elements.

In the chancel north wall is a Baroque monument to Richard Acton and his wife by Edward Stanton.

Two demi figures in high relief hold hands in an oval frame.

In the nave north wall is a simpler neo-classical tablet to Sir Richard Acton The octagonal tub font is lead lined, and therefore probably medieval, but has been re-tooled and stands on a moulded base.

The pulpit is C18, polygonal with panelled front.

HISTORY: A church of probable later C12 origin, but the character of the present building is defined by addition and rebuilding of 1761-3 and 1895.

The chancel is said to have been rebuilt in 1714 but an inscription on the base of Sir Whitmore Acton's monument gives the date 1761.

The chancel doorway is mid C18 and, with the plinth, matches the work on the north chapel, which was added in 1763 by Sir Richard Acton to house a monument to his father (the dates are on the base of the monument).

The monument is by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, architect of Shrewsbury, who may also have designed chapel and chancel.

Restoration in 1895 introduced new windows in nave and chancel, and a neo-Norman chancel arch, all using red sandstone that was typical of the period.

B Kemp, English Church Monuments, 1980, pp 115, 150.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St Mary, Acton Round, is listed Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * It has a well-preserved C18 chapel and chancel. * It has important and high-quality C18 wall monuments. * It has other architectural details of interest, including C12 ironwork and C18 pulpit.