Manor of Iron Acton

The manor house, known as Acton Court is a Tudor (16th century) building which survives today, situated at some distance from the village and parish church of St Michael.

It was long the principal seat of the prominent Poyntz family, lords of the manor, whose manorial chapel is contained within the parish church.

[8] Robert's surviving ledger stone in Iron Acton Church depicts a knight, almost life-size, wearing a helmet with the body in plate armour with a skirt of traces.

He wears a gorget with slight traces of chain-mail, round shoulder pieces, brassarts on the arms, gauntlets with pointed cuffs, legs in plate.

It is however widely accepted that Robert erected the stone preaching cross in the church yard, which displays escutcheons bearing the arms of Acton and FitzNichol, the latter being the family of his second wife.

The second slab is incised with the following words within a ledger line: Here lyeth Anne the firste wife of Roberd Poyntz of whos sowle God have mercy Amen.

In the centre is shown a life-sized lady wearing a dress with tight-fitting body, low in the neck, laced from hands to waist with tight sleeves, full skirt and reticulated head-dress.

[11] The third slab retains only part of a female figure with a ledger line containing the words: ...erine the second wyfe of Robert Poyntz.

[13] By his wife he had children: Sir Robert Poyntz (died 1520), eldest son and heir, a supporter of the future King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.