In search of a Spirit- Hannah Phillips and the ghost of Astley Abbotts
It was warm day in April when we journeyed to Astley Abbotts in search of a ghost. The beauty of the surrounding area seemed to contrast with our purpose, everywhere we looked there was life and light, but gentle whispers of spring didn’t help Hannah, she was still over three centuries’ dead. Her melancholy tale and its tangible remains were what inspired us to visit St Calixtus church that day, and piece together the threads of her story. St Calixtus church sits in the hamlet of Astley Abbotts, which is north of Bridgnorth. It’s a stunning building, mainly Norman in origin, though it has Anglo Saxon roots, and Roman Tufa stone has been found in the walls. The church is a tapestry of the countless generations who have crossed its threshold since its consecration in 1138. I love buildings like this, they seem to hum with the weight of their history, they ensure that the past stays present, tangible to us still. Our journey took us through the same countryside where generations of my f...
