Astley is a village in E central Shropshire, 4½ miles NE of Shrewsbury. Despite its proximity to the county town, Astley retains its rural status, lying as it does on a junction of minor roads in the fork between the main roads from Shrewsbury to Whitchurch and to Market Drayton. The church is on a bend on the road through the village, and has a single nave and chancel with no chancel arch, and a tower at the W end that serves as the only entrance to the church. It is of Grinshill ashlar and is substantially of the early 14thc, restored in the 16thc. The tower dates from 1837 and there was a major restoration in 1883. The only 12thc feature is a reset and blocked S nave doorway.

DS records that the church was part of the Manor of Astley, which belonged to the canons of St Mary in Shrewsbury.

The embattled ornament is found at Edstaston and something similar is at Haughmond Abbey, to which this doorway may be related. The gouged ornament appears to be deliberate, but no parallels occur to the present author.