St Bartholomew, Tong
St Bartholomew, Tong
St Bartholomew's is a Grade I Church of England parish church on Newport Road, Tong, Shropshire, in the Diocese of Lichfield. It is sometimes called the Westminster Abbey of the Midlands for its monuments.
- Location
- Tong, Shropshire
- Country
- England
- County
- Shropshire
- City / town
- Tong
- Address
- Newport Road, Tong, Shropshire, TF11 8PW
- Postcode
- TF11 8PW
- Built
- c.1260; largely rebuilt c.1410; south chapel c.1515; restored 1889–92
- Architect
- Ewan Christian (restoration, 1889–92)
- Denomination
- Church of England
- Dedication
- Bartholomew
- Diocese
- Lichfield
- Parish
- Tong
- Grade
- I
- Style
- Perpendicular Gothic
- Materials
- Ashlar with lead roofs
- Grid reference
- SJ 795 073
- Opening hours
- Every day in reasonable daylight hours.
- Access
- Level access throughout
Overview
Historic England records a parish church of about 1260, largely rebuilt about 1410 for Elizabeth de Pembruge, with a south chapel of about 1515, and restored in 1889–92 by Ewan Christian. The fabric is ashlar with lead roofs. The plan is a three-bay nave, four-bay aisles extending east to form transepts, a central tower and short spire, a south transeptal chapel, a three-bay chancel and a north vestry. The tower has a square second stage and an octagonal bell stage with a short spire and pinnacled lucarnes.
Elizabeth (Isabel) de Pembruge obtained a licence to found a collegiate church and chantry after the death of Sir Fulke de Pembruge. The south chapel, built for Sir Henry Vernon, has fan vaulting rare in Shropshire. The church holds an important series of tombs of the Vernon and related families.