This large church in the hamlet of Astley serves a parish that is large in area with a widespread population. Adjoining the churchyard are the ruins of Astley Castle; a sad sight, having been neglected for many years, following a disastrous fire in 1978. The castle is particularly associated with the Grey family, their most famous member being Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for 9 days in 1553. The church and the castle feature in fiction as well as in history. George Eliot, the author, was born on the neighbouring Arbury estate. She is thought to have used them as the basiss for Knebley Church and Knebley Abbey, which both feature in her novel "Mr. Gilfil's Love Story". St. Mary's still survives the ravages of time, although it is much changed from the Collegiate Church which was founded here by Sir Thomas Astley in 1343 but suffered in the dissolutions of Henry VIII. The nave of the present church was, in fact, the quire or chancel of the Collegiate Church, which must have been an extremely large building. It is believed to have covered most of the present churchyard. The approach to the church is dominated by the massive bulk of the 17th century west tower. The tower and chancel may have been built using stone from the previous church.

The parish was once known as Packington Piggott. The church dates from a rebuilding of 1878 on new concrete foundations. Much of the stone used came from a 12th-13th century church which previously occupied the site.

St. Bartholomew's closed in 1966 and was subsequently declared redundant. In 1991 arrangements were made to transfer the property to Lord Aylesford, to enable it to be disposed of for conversion to a domestic dwelling. In 1998 conversion work was proceeding. The parish of Little Packington is now included in the benefice of Meriden.

Close to the east end of the churchyard lies evidence of a transport system which has also lost its former glory. It is the trackbed of the old Stonebridge branch of the Derby to Hampton railway line. It was constructed by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Company to link with the London and Birmingham line at Hampton in Arden. The railway opened in 1839 and provided the first main line link between London and Derby and Birmingham and Derby.

St. John Baptist Church is now the Parish Church for Honiley and Wroxall. It is approached along a short driveway, close to the entrance to Honiley Hall. The driveway terminates in front of the impressive churchyard gates, flanked by the North and South Lodges of the now demolished Honiley House. Honiley House was once the home of John Sanders. He built the church, at his own expense, in 1723, as recorded in an inscription over the west door of the church.

Tradition has it that the church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Whether or not this is true, there is no doubt that it is an interesting and distinctive building, consisting of a nave, apsidal sanctuary and west tower with octagonal spire. It stands in a quiet, secluded location which is disturbed at intervals by air traffic flying into Birmingham Airport.

The peaceful, wooded location of this church helps to retain the feeling of a clearing in a forest, much as it may have been when the Forest of Arden covered most of the countryside hereabouts. A short distance away is the celebrated moated house of Baddesley Clinton, the long time residence of the Ferrers family, which is now in the ownership of the National Trust. The interior of the church is dark and the nave surprisingly narrow. The large stained glass window in the chancel features Nicholas Brome, Sir Edward Ferrers and his wife, Lady Constance. Their children are also pictured and there are six heraldic shields, one of which has 32 quarterings, illustrating the numerous links of the Ferrers family with other notable families. The church was expanded and improved by Nicholas Brome at the beginning of the 16th century. It was restored in 1872.

This wonderful church stands on sloping ground, above the banks of the River Leam, on the edge of the village. It was built, in the Classical style, in 1775, replacing an earlier mediaeval church. It was altered and enlarged in 1876 with Gothic features to give the church as seen today. Restoration and underpinning of the apse took place in 1991.

The church comprises a nave, chancel, apsidal sanctuary and west entrance with a vestry and a staircase leading to the west gallery. An elegant, stone bell-turret provides the finishing touch.The apsidal sanctuary is a significant attraction. The arch has fine stone capitals and the apse itself has a splendid, highly decorative, vaulted ceiling.

The peaceful hamlet of Winderton lies within the civil parish of Brailes. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul stands at the south-west corner of the hamlet, overlooking rolling countryside, with views towards the settlement of Brailes. This attractive church was constructed in 1878, using the golden-brown stone obtained from local quarries. It was built by Canon Thoyts as a memorial to his parents on land that was provided by the Marquess of Northampton. Entrance is through a porch at the base of the tower. The porch, with its soaring, vaulted ceiling and arcades, is guarded by solid iron gates. The tower has four enormous gargoyles leaping from the corners. Sadly, three of them are badly damaged. The interior of the church is noted for its bands of red and white stonework. The church is now closed, having been declared redundant in 1974, after less than one hundred years service.

This interesting church is hidden away in the hamlet of Old Milverton. It occupies a site with views over the valley of the River Avon and towards Warwick. Amongst the trees, on the far bank of the river, one can see the ruins of the mansion house at Guy's Cliffe, standing forlorn and desolate. St. James Church is the result of a rebuilding in 1880, using the foundations of an earlier church. Finance for the work was provided by Lady Charles Bertie Percy of Guy's Cliffe.

This unpretentious rural church contains much of interest. It was built in 1866, using stone and windows from the old church, which was located on another site in the village. Memorials from the old church were also incorporated. The lych gate, at the east end of the churchyard, carries plaques recording those of the parish who gave their lives in the two World Wars. It also has a Roll of Honour for those who served in and survived World War 1. Included is the name of Field Marshal Earl Haig, who rented nearby Radway Grange for a time.

The church stands grey and brooding, a short distance away from the hamlet of Chesterton Green which it serves. The parish also includes the agricultural area of Kingston. Long, low and crenallated, the church has a somewhat austere appearance. The nave appears narrow and long. The west end of the nave has the splendid tomb of Humphrey Peyto and his wife Anna. It is hand painted and surmounted by alabaster effigies. Their ten children are featured in effigy at the rear of the tomb. There are also memorials to Sir Edward Peyto and his wife, Elizabeth and to Sir William Peyto and his wife, Eleanor. Sadly Eleanor has been recently decapitated. Sir Edward Peyto fought on the Parliamentarian side in the Civil War and commanded the garrison defending Warwick Castle. He was also responsible for the construction of the Peyto Gateway and Chesterton Windmill.

A small plot, surrounded by fields, at the edge of the hamlet of Newbold Pacey, provides a pleasant location for this 19th century church. The simple design of the church is complemented by the saddleback tower which incorporates the entrance porch to the church. The main structure of the church consists of a nave, chancel and south aisle, together with a south chapel, organ space and vestry.

Newbold Pacey is believed to have been depopulated in the 14th century with some of the residents moving to nearby Ashorne. The Manor of Newbold included Ashorne, which is now the larger of the two settlements. The large estate of Ashorne Hill, which is within the parish, was established by Arthur and Ethel Tree, a couple from the U.S.A. who decided to settle in England.

The sign at the entrance to the churchyard proclaims that the church is one of the oldest in England, with Saxon and Norman features. It also states that 30 generations have worshipped here since circa 760 A.D. A church has been on this site since that time. This simple structure has a nave, chancel, south vestry and south-west tower. The tower is thought to have been erected in the 12th century, though the upper tier clearly belongs to a later date than the lower portion. The remainder of the church results from major restoration work that was carried out in 1740. More recently, restoration work took place in 1923, 1952 and 1969. Evidence of a Saxon building can be seen in the stonework on the north wall of the chancel, where the plaster has been removed. The white, plastered walls and large windows of the nave give a light interior. There was once a west gallery but this was removed early in the 20th century. Set into the west wall of the nave is a small coffin lid, dating from the early 14th century. The base of the tower holds a set of stocks. The church occupies a small churchyard, on sloping ground, adjacent to Loxley Hall. The terrain must make maintenance difficult and small areas of the churchyard are overgrown. Tradition has it that some of the casualties of the Battle of Edge Hill (1642) were buried here. However, the church registers do not substantiate this claim and one would wonder why either side would convey their dead the 6 miles or so from the main site of the engagement.

The church consists of a nave, chancel, north vestry, south porch and wooden bell-turret. The nave is thought to date from 1208. The south porch with carved wooden sides, dates from around 1500. The bell-turret was erected to replace a metal structure which was dismantled in the mid-19th century. The interior is narrow and the small windows give little light. The nave, with its fine barrel-vaulted ceiling, has memorials to the fallen of both World Wars.

This memorable little church stands hidden behind an avenue of lime trees, in a small churchyard. The exterior presents the weary appearance of a church which has seen better days. In fact, the church was declared redundant in 1976 and is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. All Saints is the result of a reconstruction of 1692, replacing the previous mediaeval church on the site. It consists of a nave, apsidal sanctuary, south vestry, wooden bell-cote and a west porch of a later date. The south vestry is thought to have once contained the family pew of the Lord of the Manor. It includes a blocked-up doorway which would have served as a private entry.

The church is close to the old manor house of Billesley,which is now an hotel. Adjoining fields contain the site of the deserted mediaeval village of Billesley Trussell. William Trussell, of Billesley, presided as Speaker at the first English Parliament summoned by Simon de Montfort in 1265.