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 Christian church in Chesterfield, England. It is dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints. Building of the church started in 1234 AD, but most of what you see today was built in the 1300s.
This church is very special because it has a unique twisted and leaning spire. People call it the Crooked Spire. In 1971, it was named a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic building. It's the biggest parish church in the Diocese of Derby. In 1994, it even 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 the Church
Early Beginnings
There has been a Christian church on this spot for a very long time. Some evidence, like a font (a bowl for baptisms), suggests there was a church here between 890 and 1050 AD. This was during the Anglo-Saxon period. Historians also believe there was a Norman church here before the current one.
Building the Medieval Church
Construction on the church we see today began in 1234 AD. It was built and made bigger over many years, especially in the 1300s. The church is mostly medieval, meaning it was built in the Middle Ages. It features different styles of Gothic architecture, like Early English and Decorated Gothic. It's shaped like a cross, with a main hall (nave), side aisles, and two arms (transepts).
Changes Over Time
During the Reformation in the 1500s, the church lost many of its old decorations. It was rebuilt in the 1700s, and then famous architect George Gilbert Scott restored it in the 1840s. He added a new ceiling and a beautiful new east window with stained glass. The church reopened in May 1843 after nine months of work.
In 1810, ten bells were put in the steeple. You could hear them up to four miles away! In 1817, people worried the spire might fall down because of old wood inside. Luckily, they decided to repair it instead of taking it apart.
Fires and Restoration
On March 11, 1861, lightning hit the church spire. This caused a fire that slowly burned for hours until the sexton (church caretaker) found it.
Another big fire happened on December 22, 1961. It damaged the north side of the church. A library clerk saw smoke and called for help. Firefighters saved many old parts of the church, like a screen from the 1500s and the old Norman font. However, the fire melted glass, destroyed the roof, and ruined most of a rare 1756 pipe organ. A new organ was installed in 1963, using some parts of the old one.
In 1984, for the church's 750th birthday, new stained-glass windows were added. These windows show the history of Chesterfield town. From 2007 to 2012, older stained glass was carefully repaired.
In 2000, scientists checked the spire's movement. Even though it wasn't dangerous, it seemed to be twisting faster.
The Crooked Spire Mystery
The spire was added around 1362. Its very top is about 70 meters (228 feet) above the ground. It's not just twisted, it also leans! The top of the spire is about 2.9 meters (9 feet 6 inches) off-center.
Why is it Crooked?
No one is completely sure why the spire is twisted, and people still discuss it today. Here are some ideas:
- Lack of skilled workers: The Black Death (a terrible plague) happened when the church was being built. This might have meant there weren't enough skilled builders.
- Bad wood: Builders might have used wood that wasn't properly dried (called 'green timber'). This wood can twist as it dries.
- Too much weight: In the 1600s, about 33 tons of lead sheets were added to cover the spire. The original structure from the 1300s wasn't built to hold so much extra weight.
- Sunlight: Another idea is that the sun heats up the south side of the spire more than the north side. This could make the lead on the south side expand more, causing it to twist.
It's likely that a mix of these reasons caused the spire to become crooked.
Bells and Legends
The golden weather vane on top of the spire has the names of past vicars (church leaders) written on it. Below the spire, there are 10 bells. There's also an eleventh bell called the 'Shriving' or 'Curfew Bell'. In the early 1800s, this bell was rung to tell soldiers on parole (who were allowed to roam a bit) to return to their barracks. The current bells were made in 1947.
The church's twisted spire is so famous that the local football team, Chesterfield F.C., is nicknamed "The Spireites." The spire is even on their team badge!
Fun Folk Stories
There are many local legends about why the spire is twisted, and most of them involve the Devil!
- One story says a blacksmith from Bolsover badly shod one of the Devil's hooves. The Devil, in pain, jumped over the spire and angrily kicked it out of shape.
- Another tale says the Devil was resting on the spire. The smell of incense from inside the church made him sneeze so hard that it warped the spire.
- A similar story tells of the Devil flying from Nottingham to Sheffield. He stopped to rest on the church, wrapping his tail around the spire. But when the church bells rang, they startled him, and his lashing tail twisted the spire as he flew away.
- A simpler version says the Devil just sat spitefully on the weather vane. His weight caused the twist, accidentally creating a new tourist attraction!
- Another myth suggests the spire was so amazed by a beautiful bride that it leaned down to get a better look and got stuck. A more playful version says the church was so surprised to see a virgin getting married that its spire turned to look and got stuck. The myth adds that if another virgin ever marries in the church, the spire will straighten again!
Visiting the Spire
You can actually climb partway up the spire on organized tours! From the top of the tower, you can see for miles on a clear day. The spire is a symbol of Chesterfield and can be seen from the surrounding hills, often poking out of the mist on a winter morning.
Organ
The original church organ from 1756 was mostly destroyed in the 1961 fire. A replacement organ was installed in 1963. It's a large pipe organ with 65 stops.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
- Listed buildings in Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Images for kids
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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"
