Listed Building record MDR5433 - All Saints' Church, Shardlow Road, Aston upon Trent
Type and Period (3)
- CHURCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1900 AD)
- CARVED STONE (Saxon - 900 AD to 1000 AD)
- CHURCH (Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1100 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
All Saints', Aston upon Trent, is Early English to 14th century, but with a west tower which has a late Norman lower stage. There is a fragment of a Saxon cross of reticulated pattern built into the west wall of the north aisle. (1)
The church is in use for public worship. The Saxon sculptured stone is part of the quoining of the original north-west corner of the nave, visible in the angle formed by the north aisle and tower. Below the stone are three plain, large stones forming a fragment of long-and-short quoining in a style suggestive of late Saxon work but presumably early Norman. A notice in the church claims the lower part of the tower and font to be of c. 1000 AD or earlier. Both are late Norman. (2) Authority 3 correct. (3)
The Church of All Saints parish church, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th century, restored 1853 and c. 1870. Grade I. (4-6)
The apparent long-and-short arrangement of the quoins in the external north-west corner of the nave indicates pre-Conquest remains at Aston. The misalignment of the chancel south wall may be due to the presence of partial earlier foundations on a slightly different axis. If this is so, this may identify a small, almost square, cell which could be pre-Conquest. Otherwise, the church has a fine Norman tower, although the upper stages are later. It is feasible that the foundations of the pre-Conquest church lie below the present ground level. The carved stone in the Anglo-Saxon quoins displays Viking art and includes a variation of the so-called 'Jellinge Beast', a very diagnostic design element of the period. This is likely to be of early-mid 10th century date. Given that it is unlikely that the stone would have been reused immediately after it was made, this suggests that the Anglo-Saxon remains at Aston date to the 11th century, although this may not be the date of the original Saxon building. The early church is likely to have been one of the two churches mentioned in Domesday Book at nearby Weston-on-Trent. The archaeological potential at Aston is considerable, as the foundations of at least part of the pre-Conquest building may well survive below the present structure. (7)
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR11672 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J C. 1879. Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, Vol IV. p7-8.
- <2> SDR6468 Personal Observation: F1 WCW 26-JAN-60.
- <3> SDR6533 Personal Observation: F2 BHS 11-JUL-66.
- <4> SDR12891 Bibliographic reference: Pevsner, N. 1979. The Buildings of England: Derbyshire. 2nd ed., revised. p69.
- <5> SDR5382 Bibliographic reference: DOE Listed Bldgs. Dist of South Derbyshire. Derby 11 Mar 1987 5-7. 9/4129/008.
- <6> SDR18691 Index: TPAT 2537. 2537.
- <7> SDR21159 Unpublished document: Sidebottom, P. 2007. The Early Church in Derbyshire, a study of the development of Anglo-Saxon church building. p 86; Appendix II: Survey Results and Illustrations - Aston-on-Trent.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 4148 2934 (27m by 23m) Approximate |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ASTON UPON TRENT, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR992
- EDR1405
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jan 26 2024 9:23PM