St Michael and St Mary's Church, Melbourne is a
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
in
Melbourne, Derbyshire
Melbourne () is a market town and civil parish in South Derbyshire, England.
It was home to Thomas Cook, and has a street named after him. It is south of Derby and from the River Trent. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 Census ...
.
History
The church is medieval and existed when the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
was compiled in 1086. The current building dates from the early part of the 12th century when the living of Melbourne was given to the Bishop of Carlisle.
It was restored by Sir
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...
between 1859 and 1862. It was closed for one year at the start of the restoration in 1859 and reopened on 3 November 1860, when enough work had been completed to allow the congregation to use the building. The interior was renovated. The aisles were floored with red and white Mansfield stone laid in a diamond pattern. The chancel was laid with
Minton encaustic tiles. A new pulpit and reading desk were installed. The wall plaster was removed and the stonework revealed. The west front stonework was renewed.
Parish status
The church is in a joint parish with:
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St James' Church, Smisby
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St Michael's Church, Stanton by Bridge
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St George's Church, Ticknall
Vicars of Melbourne
The names of the Vicars are found in the Episcopal Register of Lichfield, in extracts from the deeds in the Melbourne Hall Muniment Room made by Mr. W.D. Fane and in the Parish Church Registers dating from 1054.
Organ
The church contains a pipe organ by Bevington and Sons dating from the 1860s, subsequently modified by Kingsgate Davidson and Co in 1956 and
Nicholson & Co (Worcester) Ltd
Nicholson & Co. Ltd manufactures pipe organs. It was founded in 1841 by John Nicholson. Its work encompasses the creation of new instruments as well as historical restorations, rebuilds and renovations. In 2013, the firm completed the first whol ...
in 1981. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
See also
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Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. The ceremonial county of Derbyshire includes the unitary authority of the city of Derby. This is a complete list of the Grade I listed churches and chapels in the ceremonial county a ...
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Grade I listed buildings in Derbyshire
There are over 9000 Grade I listed buildings in England. This page is a list of these buildings in the county of Derbyshire, sub-divided by district.
Amber Valley
Bolsover
Chesterfield
City of Derby
...
*
Listed buildings in Melbourne, Derbyshire
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melbourne
Church of England church buildings in Derbyshire
Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
St Michael with St Mary's Church