About St Mary the Virgin, Acton Round

Although it was long believed that the church had no known dedicated, it is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Consisting of a predominantly Norman nave, 14thC chancel an a timber framed belfry containing two ancient bells, in the 18thC a mortuary chapel was added on to the north wall.

There is a monument to Sir Whitmore Acton and his wife, on the north wall of the chapel by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (designer of the Iron Bridge). On the north wall of the chancel a monument to Richard Acton and his wife by Edward Stanton (mason to Westminster Abbey between 1720 and 1734) shows them, unusually for that time, holding hands. Above the south door is a thoroughly modern monument designed in the shape of a Norman tympanum, depicting the present day parishioners doing about their daily business.

One interesting feature of the church's history (of which generally little is known) relates to the possible origins of the name Acton Round.

At the time of the Domesday Book, the settlement was called Achetune (Acton), and kept this name until at least 1251. By 1283 it was being referred to as Acton la Ronde.

In 1255 the Knights Templar had acquired the settlement of Stanton Long, some 5 miles due west of Acton, from the FitzAlan family who, at that time, also held the Manor of Acton.

The Templars were noted for building round churches, designed to resemble their spiritual home, the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem.

In 1544, Thomas Butler of Much Wenlock, wrote 'here was buried out of Acton Round, Robert Weale, farmer there, dwelling in the farm by the chapel's end, the east of which chapel sometime was round like a temple and, as it hath been said, was of the Templars' lands belonging to the Lordship of Lydley's fields in Cardington Parish'.

At the time of the 2001 Census, the population of Acton Round was 85, which is about half of what it was in 1841. It is, and always has been, a farming connunity, with very little industry, although recently a small number of business units have been built on the site of the old filling station at Muckley Cross.

Many of the families living and working in the parish have been here for generations, and perusal of the old census returns will show names which are still very much in evidence today. There is no school, no pub, no post office, and no shop, although main A458 runs through the middle of the parish.

The majority of the parishioners live along the small, unmarked lanes which run off it. The local children - around 20 - attend the church primary school in Morville, or the secondary schools in either Bridgnorth or Much Wenlock. Members of the parish serve as school governors and parish councillors.

Although small, the parish is a friendly and united community, with the church at its heart. As well as twice monthly services - communion and evensong - we host regular concerts for the Hadyn Festival; in recent years there have been flower festivals, poetry and book readings, a talk on the history of the parish, and many visits by local history societies.

Our church is important to us as a community. Its roots lie deep, as do those of its congregation. We are traditionalists who strongly support the use of the King James Bible, and the Book of Common Prayer.