Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chesterfield Parish Church |
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| The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield | |
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| 53°14′10″N 1°25′27″W / 53.2361°N 1.4241°W | |
| Location | Chesterfield, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Official Website: https://www.crookedspire.org/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Dedication | St Mary and All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Gothic |
| Completed | 14th century |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints | |
| Designated: | 15 July 1971 |
| Reference #: | 1334708 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Materials | Lead |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Chesterfield |
| Deanery | North East Derbyshire |
| Archdeaconry | Chesterfield |
| Diocese | Derby |
| Province | Canterbury |
Chesterfield Parish Church is a famous Church of England church. It is dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints. You can find it in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.
Work on the church started way back in 1234 AD. Most of the church you see today was built in the 14th century. It became a special "Grade I listed building" in 1971. This means it's a very important historic building.
The church is most famous for its unique spire. It's known as the Crooked Spire because it looks twisted and leans over. It's the biggest parish church in the Diocese of Derby. It's also part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield. In 1994, it joined a group called the Association of the Twisted Spires of Europe. Out of 72 churches, Chesterfield's spire has the biggest lean and twist!
Contents
History of Chesterfield Parish Church
There has been a Christian church on this spot for a very long time. We know there was one here in the Anglo-Saxon era. You can still see a font inside that might be from around 890 to 1050 AD.
People also mentioned the "Church in Chesterfield" in the 11th century. This was during the time of Edward the Confessor. Historians think there was a Norman church here too.
Building the current church began in 1234 AD. It was made bigger and better throughout the Middle Ages. A lot of work happened in the 14th century. The church mostly looks medieval. It has Early English, Decorated Gothic, and Perpendicular Gothic styles. It's built from cut stone called ashlar.
The church has a classic cross shape, called a cruciform. It includes a main hall (the nave), side aisles, and north and south wings (the transepts). The main altar area (the chancel) is surrounded by four smaller chapels.
Changes Over Time
During the Reformation in the 1500s, the church lost many of its old decorations. It was rebuilt in the 1700s. The north transept was rebuilt in 1769.
Later, in the 1840s, a new ceiling was put in. A new east window with stained glass was added. It was made by William Wailes. A new font was also given to the church. After being closed for nine months, the church reopened on May 9, 1843.
In 1810, 10 bells were put in the steeple. You could hear them up to four miles away! In 1817, experts thought the spire might fall down. They suggested taking it apart. But instead, they decided to repair it.
On March 11, 1861, lightning hit the spire. It damaged gas pipes and started a fire. The fire burned for hours until the sexton found it.
More restoration work started in 1896. A beautiful altar screen (called a reredos) was added in 1898.
In 1911, people still rang an old bell called the "Prentice bell." It was rung every Shrove Tuesday as a pancake bell.
Another fire happened on December 22, 1961. This fire damaged the north side of the church. Firefighters saved many old parts, like a screen from the 1500s. They also saved the Norman font and a Jacobean pulpit. But the fire melted glass and destroyed the roof and choir room. It also ruined a rare 1756 John Snetzler pipe organ.
In 1963, a new organ was installed. It was a 1905 T.C. Lewis organ from Glasgow City Hall. It used some parts of the old 18th-century organ.
In 1984, the church celebrated its 750th birthday. New stained-glass windows were added. They showed the town's history. These windows were a gift from the people of Chesterfield. More work was done on the older stained glass from 2007 to 2012.
In 2000, scientists checked the spire's movement. It was moving a bit more than before. In 2020, the church received a special grant. This helped it stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. It helped the church continue as a place of worship and a tourist spot.
The Famous Crooked Spire
The spire was added around 1362. Its very top is about 228 feet (69 meters) above the ground. It's famous because it's both twisted and leaning. The twist is about 45 degrees. This makes the very top lean about 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 meters) off center!
Why is it Crooked?
No one is completely sure why the spire is twisted. People have many ideas:
- Some think there weren't enough skilled workers. This might be because of the Black Death, which happened when the church was being built.
- Others believe they used wood that wasn't properly dried. This "green timber" might have twisted as it dried. Also, there might not have been enough support beams.
- Another idea is that in the 17th century, 33 tons of lead sheets were added to cover the spire. The original 14th-century supports weren't built for so much weight.
- A popular theory is about the sun. The south side of the spire gets more sun. This might make the lead on that side expand more than the north side. This uneven expansion could cause the twist.
It's possible that a mix of these things caused the spire to twist.
Bells and Legends
The golden rooster weather vane on top of the spire has the names of past vicars written on it.
Below the spire, there are 10 bells. There's also an eleventh "Shriving" or "Curfew Bell." In the early 1800s, soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars were held in Chesterfield. They could walk around, but had to return when the curfew bell rang. The current bells were made in 1947 in London. The heaviest bell weighs about 1270 kg.
The place where the bells are now used to hold a special medieval crane. This crane was used by builders. It's one of the few medieval cranes still around. You can see it at the Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery.
The church's twisted spire gave the town's football team, Chesterfield F.C., their nickname: The Spireites. A picture of the spire is also on their team badge. Local companies have used the spire in their logos too.
There are also fun local stories about why the spire is twisted. Most of them involve the Devil!
- One story says a Bolsover blacksmith hurt the Devil's hoof. The Devil jumped over the spire in pain and kicked it out of shape.
- Another tale says the Devil was resting on the spire. The smell of incense from the church made him sneeze so hard it warped the spire.
- A similar story says the Devil was flying from Nottingham to Sheffield. He stopped to rest on the church, wrapping his tail around the spire. When the church bells rang, he got scared and twisted the spire as he flew away.
- A simpler version says the Devil just sat on the weather vane. His weight caused the spire to twist, accidentally creating a new tourist spot!
- Another myth says the spire was so amazed by a beautiful bride that it bent down to look. It got stuck in that twisted position. The story goes that if another virgin ever marries in the church, the spire will straighten up again!
Tours of the Spire
You can actually visit the spire! There are organized tours where you can climb partway up. On a clear day, the views from the top of the tower are amazing. The spire is a symbol of Chesterfield. You can often see it from the hills around the town, poking out of the mist on a winter morning.
Vicars of Chesterfield Parish Church
- Martin Lane 1558–1573
- Cuthbert Hutchinson 1573–1609
- Matthew Waddington 1616–?
- William Edwards 1638–?
- John Billingsley 1662–1663
- John Coope 1663–?
- John Lobley ?–1694
- William Blakeman 1694–1699
- Henry Audsley 1699–1705
- John Peck 1705–1707
- William Higgs 1707–1716
- Thomas Hinckesman 1716–1739
- William Wheeler 1739–1765
- John Wood 1765–1781
- George Bossley 1781–1822
- Thomas Hill 1822–? (Archdeacon of Derby)
- George Butt ?–1888
- Hon. Reginald Edmund Adderley 1888–1892
- Hon. Cecil James Littleton 1893–1898
- Egbert Hacking 1899–1905
- Edmond Francis Crosse 1905–? (Archdeacon of Chesterfield)
- Francis Longsdon Shaw 1918–1924
- Geoffrey Hare Clayton 1924–1934 (Archdeacon of Chesterfield)
- Talbot Dilworth-Harrison 1934–? (Archdeacon of Chesterfield)
- Thomas Wood Ingram Cleasby 1963–1970 (Archdeacon of Chesterfield)
- Thomas Ewart Roberts 1971–1975
- Henry Alexander Puntis 1975–1982
- Brian Hamilton Cooper 1982–1991
- Martyn William Jarrett 1991–1994
- Michael Richard Knight 1994–2013
- Patrick Francis Coleman 2014–present
The Church Organ
Most of the church's first organ, built by John Snetzler in 1756, was destroyed in the 1961 fire. A new organ was installed in 1963. This was a large, four-manual pipe organ with 65 stops. It came from Glasgow City Hall. It also included some parts that were saved from the old 18th-century organ.
List of Organists
- Thomas Layland 1756–c. 1772
- Samuel Bower c. 1772–1808 joint with Sarah Bower (daughter) from c. 787
- Sarah Bower (becomes Mrs Dutton in 1807) c. 1787–1847
- Thomas Tallis Trimnell 1847–1874
- Henry John Vaughan 1874−1875 (formerly assistant organist of Gloucester Cathedral)
- Henry Norman Biggin 1875–1910
- J. Frederic Staton 1910–1938 (formerly organist of All Saints' Church, Ashover)
- Reginald Cooper 1938–1947
- Charles Alan Bryars 1947–1970
- Michael Baker 1970–2005
- Ian Brackenbury 2006–2019
- Dr Paul Nash 2019–2022
- Peter Shepherd (2023– )
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
- Listed buildings in Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Gallery
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View of the church and spire
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General view of Chesterfield from a distance, including the spire
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The church in the 18th century as sketched by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
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The church in the snow, February 2009
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The high altar
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Church of St Mary and All Saints – "The Crooked Spire"
