Astley

St Mary the Virgin 5: 8-2-9 in F# Minor

Grid Reference 140/311894 Astley. Source: Mike Chester
Postcode CV10 7QN
Affiliation Coventry DG
Peals Felstead Database
Sunday By Arrangement for the 3.30pm service (Esp. 3rd)
Practice None

History

This was once a collegiate church, built in 1343 and having a central tower with a tall wooden spire. A landmark in the woodland, it was known as the “Lanthorn of Arden”. After the dissolution in 1545 the church was plundered for its materials and neglected, and this led to the collapse of the tower in about 1600. In 1607-8 Richard Chamberlaine of Astley Castle decided to re-establish it as a parish church. He retained the original chancel as the present nave, adding the west tower (dated 1607 on a now eroded stone on the south-west buttress) and the chancel (1608). The ruins of Astley Castle are nearby. They have recently been very successfully (partially) restored by The Landmark Trust as holiday accommodation

The bells, which are contemporary with the rebuilding of the tower with the tenor subsequently being recast, are hung in a massive old oak frame for six, of slightly doubtful rigidity, but handle quite well.  It is likely that a complete ring of 5 was cast in 1607, with the tenor being recast in 1722.

Unusually, the bells are in the minor key, sounding the note of bells 1-5 of a ring of 6, and the rope guides even have a space for the tenor should it ever arrive! However, the spell is broken once you realise the guides were bought second hand and the space in the frame would actually be for a treble. This pit has, at some time, been occupied. However, there is no evidence that shows six ringing bells have ever been hung.

The bells were retuned and rehung with new fittings in the old frame of 1607 by Taylors in 1912. this was reported in Bell News on April 27th that year:

“NUNEATON, WARWICKSHIRE.
Considerable interest surrounds the scheme of restoration which is being carried out at Astley parish church, Nuneaton. The bells— four of which are dated 1607, and the fifth 1722- have been removed from the tower for attention, and the principal other portion of the scheme is to be restoration of the interior of the nave. Astley church and the adjacent moated castle are closely connected with the history of England, and the church has been immortalised in the writings of George Eliot. The castle was an early home of Lady Jane Grey,”

The canons have been removed from all the bells. The treble, second and tenor have been one-eight turned and the third and fourth one quarter turned. The tenor has long been inaccurately quoted as being 8-2-19.

The first peal on the bells was rung in 1927:

Astley First Peal

In February 2022 the project to rehang the bells on ball races and overhaul some of the other fittings was completed.

There is also a small clock bell hanging in a wrought iron frame on the floor of the bell chamber, cast by James Barwell in the late 19th century. It has a diameter of 14 inches, sounds a note flat of G natural, and weighs about ¾cwt. It is sounded by means of a clock hammer.

The inscriptions are given in Tilley and Walters’ book, “The Church Bells of Warwickshire:

Astley Inscriptions
Astley Inscriptions

Entrance is from inside, to the left, using the main west door. The way up to the Ringing Chamber is via a straight staircase within the tower wall.

Parking is limited near to the church, some space is available at the base of the tower.

Details of the Bells

1 Newcombe, Leicester      1607  4-2-00  29.50″  1120.0Hz (C#+16)
2 Newcombe, Leicester      1607  5-1-06  31.25″  1000.0Hz (B+21c)
3 Newcombe, Leicester      1607  5-2-15  33.00″   892.0Hz (A+23c)
4 Newcombe, Leicester      1607  7-2-06  36.125″  841.5Hz (G#+23c)
5 Joseph Smith, Edgbaston  1722  8-2-09  38.25″   750.0Hz (F#+23c)

Clock Bell James Barwell & Co, Birmingham c1899 ¾cwt 14.00″ (G)

Photo Gallery

Astley Nave. Source: Mike Chester Astley West. Source: Mike Chester
The Nave – Looking East The Nave – Looking West
Astley Tomb. Source: Mike Chester Astley Stalls. Source: Mike Chester
The Grey Monument The “Apostles and Prophets” stalls in the Nave
Astley Wall Painting. Source: Mike Chester Plan of the Church: Source: British History Online
Three of the wall wall paintings Plan of the Church
Astley Stairs. Source: Mike Chester Astley Clock. Source: Mike Chester
The Way Up – Staircase in the Wall The clock in the ringing chamber
Astley Ringing Chamber. Source: Mike Chester Astley Pit. Source: Mike Chester
The Ringing Chamber The Spare  Pit.
The bearing cut-outs are just closer to the camera than the existing housings
Astley Bells Astley Bells
Astley Bells Astley Bells
Views of the bells. Source: Keith Chambers
Astley Pit. Source: Mike Chester Astley Castle. Source: Mike Chester
Astley Castle ruins
Astley 2022 Restoration Astley 2022 Restoration
Astley 2022 Restoration Astley 2022 Restoration
Astley 2022 Restoration Astley 2022 Restoration
Views of the bells in the final stages of the restoration
Source: Keith Chambers

The castle is really a fortified manor house. The Astley family owned it from about 1266 to 1420 when Sir William’s daughter inherited it and, as she was married to Lord Grey of Ruthin, it became the home to the Grey family. The Grey’s rebuilt the castle in 1555.

Three women who married kings or became queen lived at Astley Castle: Firstly, Elizabeth Woodville, who became wife of Edward IV. Her first husband was Sir John Grey; Secondly, her daughter, Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII; Lastly, her Great-Great-Granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, “The Nine Days Queen”. Following her execution Astley Castle was “slighted”, forfeited and then sold by the Crown to Edward Chamberlein, who restored it.

The castle was sold to the Newdigate family in 1694 , as their second home. It was leased out for much of the 20th century and the building was used as a hotel from the early 1960s until 1978 when it was gutted by fire. Recently, there has been work to have holiday lets built within the ruins.