The church is dedicated to St George and was built by Mrs P. S. Pierrepont, in memory of her husband, on the foundations of the previous 12th century church, with the addition of the north aisle, vestry, organ chamber and turret leading to the tower. Its distinctive broach spire has recently been renovated thanks to a massive fund-raising effort by the villagers.
The church stands among limes, firs, and clipped yews in an immaculate church yard. One possession remains from the old St George’s, the 15th century oak screen now set in the tower arch. The marble and alabaster reredos guarded by four stately angels, the stone pulpit, and the low stone chancel screen, were all built in the 19th century.
In the church the chief monument is that to Sir Creswell Levinz, now placed on the wall of the tower. He was one of three remarkable brothers born in this village in the 17th century, William, Creswell, and Baptist Levinz. William, the eldest, became president of St John’s College, Oxford. Baptist, the youngest, became bishop of Sodor & Man, and his tomb is in Winchester Cathedral. Creswell, the middle brother, became one of England’s most celebrated judges, and presided on the commission which tried Lord William Russell for the Rye House Plot. He was one of the defenders of the Seven Bishops whose acquittal sounded the death knell of the Stuart dynasty.
For more information on the AstwickVale of Churches visit the Benefice Site.
