Newbold Astbury (often just Astbury) is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in the unitary authority of
Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of
Cheshire, in the north-west of England.
Newbold Astbury is situated to the south-west of
Congleton on the
A34 road
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A33 and M3 at Winchester in Hampshire, to the A6 and A6042 in Salford, close to Manchester City Centre. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to B ...
to
Scholar Green
Scholar Green () is a village in the civil parish of Odd Rode, in Cheshire, England. Encompassing the smaller settlements of Kent Green and The Bank, it is situated on the A34 road, A34 near Mow Cop, Alsager, Rode Heath, Butt Lane and Kidsgrove a ...
; the A34 forms one side of the triangular
village green
A village green is a common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for gathering cattle t ...
. The civil parish holds a combined
parish council meeting with the adjacent civil parish of
Moreton-cum-Alcumlow, which is consequently called Newbold Astbury-cum-Moreton Parish Council.
History
Newbold Astbury is mentioned in the Domesday book as belonging to
Gilbert de Venables
Gilbert de Venables, aka Gilbert the Hunter, was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman Conquest of England. He was born in Venables, Eure, presumably the son of Odo II, Count of Blois (since he is mentioned as younger brother of Stephen, ...
in 1086 having previously belonged to Wulfgeat of Madeley in 1066.
In 1066 the annual value was 1 pound income for its lord but in 1086 it was just 8 shillings possibly due to the
Harrying of the North.
For its households In 1086 the manor had 3 villagers, 2 smallholders, 1 priest (meaning it also had a church), and one rider.
For its ploughlands in 1086 it had 4 ploughlands, 1 lords ploughland, and one men's ploughland.
For its other resources it had 1 acre of Meadow, 1 league of woodland, and 1 of Church lands.
Astbury is an older settlement than Congleton, the latter originally in the parish. At the time, Astbury was surrounded by swampland. The inhabitants moved uphill to where Congleton is today and Astbury became isolated. According to the National Heritage List for England, there are 25 buildings recognized as designated listed buildings, and one is St. Mary's church. The church of
St Mary's remained the parish church for Congleton for many years; it sits at the apex of the village green and is in the
Early English and
Perpendicular
In elementary geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at a right angle (90 degrees or π/2 radians). The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the ''perpendicular symbol'', ⟂. It ca ...
styles, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The church was built of
millstone grit and the detached spire of the mid-14th century looks to be earlier.
Inside the proportions and the furniture are both distinguished. The fine woodwork includes 15th-century stalls, screen, and magnificent roofs.
Sir Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...
was responsible for a modest restoration in 1862. Close to it is Astbury St Mary's Church of England Primary School. The
Cheshire section of the village of
Mow Cop
Mow Cop is a village split between Cheshire and Staffordshire, and therefore divided between the North West and West Midlands regions of England. It is south of Manchester and north of Stoke-on-Trent, on a steep hill of the same name rising ...
is part of Newbold Astbury and
Scholar Green
Scholar Green () is a village in the civil parish of Odd Rode, in Cheshire, England. Encompassing the smaller settlements of Kent Green and The Bank, it is situated on the A34 road, A34 near Mow Cop, Alsager, Rode Heath, Butt Lane and Kidsgrove a ...
.
See also
*
Listed buildings in Newbold Astbury
References
External links
Photographs of Astbury and St. Mary's Church
Villages in Cheshire
Civil parishes in Cheshire
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