St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Congleton.
The church is a Grade I listed building dating from the C12 with late C13 and early C14 and C15 additions and alterations, and has been a place of worship for over a 1000 years. The description by Historic England can be seen at the following link: (
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The ornate canopied tomb and effigies were formerly located inside the church. It is a rare and important monument and the only one of its kind in Cheshire.
It is Grade II* listed and is a scheduled monument.
There are varying opinions about how old the tomb is and who it commemorates. It is thought that it may be late 13th century and a memorial to a member of the Venables family, or that it may be 14th century and commemorate Sir Ralph Brereton.
The tomb contains two figures, a male and a female, with their hands clasped in prayer.
There are two further notable memorials in the churchyard, one to the north and the other to the south of the canopied tomb. Both are in yellow sandstone, date from the medieval period, and include weathered recumbent effigies.
The one to the north depicts a cleric with his hands in prayer, and the one to the south is a knight in armour with a missing leg. (
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The scheduled monument description by Historic England reads as follows;
"The canopied tomb known as the Venables Tomb in St Mary's churchyard is a rare survival of a once common church monument, even more unusual for its present external location in the churchyard. The quality of the carving and overall design make this an important example of its kind. Recent restoration has protected it from weathering and vandalism. The two flanking figures carved on tomb covers are also of great interest.
Details
The monument includes a free standing medieval canopied tomb together with two recumbent stone tomb effigies lying beside it. The tomb is constructed of fine-grained buff sandstone, shaped like a large rectangular coffin, surmounted by a canopy or roof of stone slabs which is supported on two side walls with diagonal buttresses projecting from the four corners. Inside this structure, lying on the top of the coffin, are two recumbent figures of sandstone, one male and the other female. The tomb measures 2.4m long and 1.4m wide including the buttresses, and stands 3.3m high to the apex of the roof. The whole structure is elaborately decorated, with carved foliate edges to the roof line, crocketed finials on the wall tops and the roof apex, and supported on a plinth carved with blind tracery. In style it dates to the late 13th century. The tomb is remembered as the Venables Tomb and was probably erected originally inside the church by a member of this prominent local family. However, there is an inscription within the inner face of the west wall, dating from the 16th century and claiming this to be the tomb of Adulphus Brereton, Knight. When the tomb was restored in 1993 a lead coffin was discovered beneath it together with the bones of a single adult within. Beside the tomb and parallel with its long axis are two recumbent figures on stone slabs 0.5m away from the base of the tomb. The figure on the northern side appears to be that of a knight in armour with a shield on his breast and feet resting on a lion. The figure on the south side is that of a cleric lying on his back with hands clasped in prayer. All figures are eroded; the figures on the tomb slab are hardly recognisable. The canopied tomb is Listed Grade II*, while the two tombstones beside it are each Listed Grade II. Gravestones on the north, west and south sides where they impinge on the area of protection are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included."
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The Grade II* description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"SJ 86 SW 4/55 SJ 8463 6158 NEWBOLD ASTBURY C.P. THE GREEN Canopied tomb of a member of the Venables Family in Churchyard of St. Mary at NGR SJ 84644 61570
GV II*
Details
Graveyard tomb, originally within the church. Late C13. Yellow sandstone ashlar. Canopied tomb. Diagonal buttresses to the corners. Moulded plinth with a band of quatrefoil tracery. Moulded top to the slab which has two heavily effaced figures, one male and one female, their hands clasped in prayer. The canopy has a shallow arch with foiled outline and C17 crocketed pinnacles above. The outer faces of the end walls have blind tracery with mouchettes and to the inner side above the figures' heads a C16 inscription claiming the tomb as that of a Brereton. It is more likely to be of a member of the Venables family. The crocketed pinnacles to the top appear to be of C17 date.
Listing NGR: SJ84644 61570"
A YouTube video - 'St Mary's of Astbury - A Medieval Treasure, History Walk,' that shows the canopied tomb and effigies, can be seen at the following link: (
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