Astley is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The official 2001 census recorded 454 people living in the parish and 116 in the village itself, falling slightly to 449 at the 2011 Census.The village lies near to (and between) the A53 and A49 roads.Upper Astley is a hamlet on the A53 about half a mile to the south of the village of Astley. There is a public house there - the Dog in the Lane.HistoryThe village was featured in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small settlement, with no church, but with a manor, and was called "Hesleie". Back then it was part of the Baschurch Hundred.The village of Astley today is scenic and quaint, and consists of a number of old dwellings of architectural interest. For this reason a Conservation Area covers almost the entirety of the village, including all of the dwellings there. Astley Conservation Area was designated in 1988 and covers and area of 23.5 hectares/57 acres. It is currently being reviewed and the boundaries may soon be altered slightly. The Conservation Area is centred on the church of St Mary's which dates back to the 12th century. During the medieval era the area was partly administered by nearby Haughmond Abbey (now a ruin).
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