Church Of St Mary And All Saints, Chesterfield
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chesterfield Parish Church is an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
church dedicated to
Saint Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
and All Saints, in Chesterfield,
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, England. Building of the church began in 1234 AD, though the present church dates predominantly from the 14th century. Designated a
Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
in 1971, St Mary's is best known for its twisted and leaning spire (known as the Crooked Spire). It is the largest parish church in the
Diocese of Derby The Diocese of Derby is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, roughly covering the same area as the County of Derbyshire. Its diocesan bishop is the Bishop of Derby whose seat (cathedra) is at Derby Cathedral. The dioces ...
and forms part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield. In 1994, it also became the UK's only representative in the Association of the Twisted Spires of Europe; of the 72 member churches, it is deemed to have the greatest lean and twist.


History

Evidence of a Christian church on the site dates to the Anglo-Saxon era; a font thought to date from 890 to 1050 AD can be seen in the south transept of the current church. There is mention of the 'Church in Chesterfield' during the 11th-century reign of
Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...
, and historians believe there was also a Norman church. Construction on the present church started in 1234 AD. It was continued and expanded throughout the medieval period, particularly in the 14th century. The church is largely medieval, with Early English,
Decorated Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed a ...
and
Perpendicular Gothic Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...
features built of
ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
. It is laid out in a classic
cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...
and comprises a
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
, aisles, north and south
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
s and the
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
which is surrounded by four guild chapels. During the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
in the 1500s, the church lost much of its medieval decor. It was rebuilt in the 1700s, including of the north transept in 1769, and restored and embellished by Neo-Gothic architect
George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely 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 ...
in the 1840s. A new ceiling was installed and new east window inserted with
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
by
William Wailes William Wailes (1808–1881) was the proprietor of one of England's largest and most prolific stained glass workshops. Life and career Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England's centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. ...
of Newcastle. A new
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
was donated by Samuel Johnson of
Somersal Hall Somersal Herbert Hall is a privately owned timber-framed 16th-century country house at Somersal Herbert, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in England. It is a Grade I listed building. The FitzHerbert family came to Somersal in the 13th century when t ...
. After a nine-month closure, the church reopened on 9 May 1843. In 1810, a peal of 10 bells was installed in the steeple underneath the spire, which could be heard up to four miles away, in a quieter age. In 1817, an inspection concluded that loose and rotting timber inside the spire, and the structure being pushed southward from inner support beams, meant the structure was in imminent danger of collapse, and it was recommended that the entire spire be dismantled for safety. However, it was decided the spire could instead be repaired. On 11 March 1861, the church spire was struck by lightning, damaging
gas lighting Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a fuel gas such as methane, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly by ...
pipes in the steeple and igniting a beam next to the wooden roof of the chancel. The fire smouldered for three and a half hours until it was discovered by the sexton on his nightly round to ring the midnight bell. A further restoration was begun in 1896 by
Temple Lushington Moore Temple Lushington Moore (7 June 1856 – 30 June 1920) was an English architect who practised in London but whose work can be seen across England, particularly in the North. He is famous for a series of fine Gothic Revival churches built betwe ...
. Moore designed the High Altar
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
, installed in 1898. In 1911, it was reported that a "Prentice bell" – an old Angelus bell, used but once a year – was still rung from the Crooked Spire every
Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day) is the final day of Shrovetide, which marks the end of the pre-Lenten season. Lent begins the following day with Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is observed in many Christian state, Ch ...
at a quarter to eleven as a
pancake A pancake, also known as a hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack, is a flat type of batter bread like cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based Batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk, and butter, and then cooked on a ...
bell. A further fire erupted on 22 December 1961, this time engulfing the north of the church. A clerk at the town library noticed smoke from the north transept window and raised the alarm, enabling firefighters to save much of the historic church, including the south transept screen from 1500, the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
font and a Jacobean
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
– but the flames melted the glass in the north window and destroyed the roof, the choir room, and the majority of a rare 1756
John Snetzler John Snetzler (or Schnetzler) was an organ builder of Swiss origin, who worked mostly in England. Born in Schaffhausen in 1710, he trained with the firm of Egedacher in Passau and came to London about 1741. When he retired in 1781, his business ...
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
. In 1963, a replacement organ was installed, a 1905 T.C. Lewis organ sourced from Glasgow City Hall, incorporating what remained of the 18th-century Snetzler with a couple of tonal additions since. In 1984, to mark the church's 750th anniversary, new stained-glass windows depicting the town's history from the 11th century onward were installed in the south aisle, a gift from the people of Chesterfield. Preservation and restoration work on the older stained glass was carried out from 2007 to 2012. In 2000, scientists were asked to evaluate the spire's movement which, although not considered a threat to the structure, had apparently accelerated during the previous two decades. In 2020, the Church was awarded a 'lifeline grant' from the
Culture Recovery Fund The Culture Recovery Fund is a grants programme issued by the UK Government as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund aims to financially support cultural organisations in England (such as theatres, museums, and music venues) which had bec ...
to help ensure its continued role as a place of worship, and as a tourist attraction for the area, during the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...
. In August 2022, a man was murdered in the churchyard.


Crooked spire

The spire was added in about 1362; its top is above the ground. It is both twisted and leaning: the 45-degree twist causes the tip to lean off centre. The reason is uncertain and still debated: suggestions include lack of skilled workers because of the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
, which occurred as much of the church was being built; the use of insufficient
cross bracing In construction, cross bracing is a system utilized to reinforce building structures in which diagonal supports intersect. Cross bracing is usually seen with two diagonal supports placed in an X-shaped manner. Under lateral force (such as wind ...
and 'green timber' – unseasoned timber; and also the 17th-century addition of 33 tons of
lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
sheeting covering the spire, resting on 14th-century bracing not designed to carry such weight. Another theory is sunlight heating the south side of the tower and causing the lead there to expand at a greater rate than the north side, resulting in an unequal expansion. It is possible that the spire's twist is due to a combination of these factors. The golden cockerel weather vane atop the spire is inscribed with the names of the past vicars of St Mary's. The steeple below the spire contains 10 bells, in the key of D. There is also an eleventh 'Shriving' or 'Curfew Bell'. During the early 1800s, Chesterfield was a base for the holding of
Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...
soldiers on parole; they were allowed a two-mile radius to roam on condition they return to barracks at the ringing of the curfew bell. The present set of bells were cast in 1947 by the
Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...
in London, the heaviest weighing . The place in which the bells are now housed once held a builders'
windlass The windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder (barrel), which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt. A winch is affixed to one or both ends, and a cable or rope is wound arou ...
, which survives as one of the few examples of a medieval crane in existence, and the only one from a parish church. It is on display at
Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery is a local museum and art gallery in the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. The hall was named in honour of the British railway pioneer George Stephenson and the museum has a small collection of ob ...
. The Church's twisted spire gave the town's football club
Chesterfield F.C. Chesterfield Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, after winning the 2023 ...
their nickname, The Spireites. A depiction of the spire also features on the club's crest. It has also been used by local companies to advertise their wares, including Scarsdale Brewery of Chesterfield, who used the spire in their logo, from 1866 until a takeover by Whitbread in 1958. There are local folk legends as to why the spire is twisted, mostly involving the Devil. In one, a
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
mis-shod a hoof of the devil, who leapt over the spire in pain and angrily kicked it out of shape. Another states that the devil was resting on the spire when the smell of incense wafting up from inside the church made the devil sneeze, so violently that it caused the spire to warp. A similar story has the devil flying from Nottingham to Sheffield and stopping for rest atop the church, its tail wrapped around the spire, but the ringing of the church bells startled the devil and on leaping away its lashing tail twisted the spire. A simpler version has the devil merely sitting spitefully atop the church weather vane, its bulk causing the twisted spire and inadvertently creating a new tourist attraction. Another myth suggests that the spire, so captivated by the beauty of a bride, leant down for a closer view but became locked in a twisted position, while the more mocking version has the church being so surprised to see a virgin being married, whether groom or bride, that its spire turned to look at the betrothed, becoming stuck – but that should another virgin ever marry in the church, the spire will return to true again.


Tours

The spire is open to the public, via organised tours and can be climbed partway up. The views from the top of the tower on a clear day stretch for miles. The spire, which is used as a symbol of Chesterfield, can be seen from the surrounding hills jutting from a sea of
mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a Dispersion (chemistry), dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets ...
, on a winter morning.


Vicars


Organ

The vast majority of the original
John Snetzler John Snetzler (or Schnetzler) was an organ builder of Swiss origin, who worked mostly in England. Born in Schaffhausen in 1710, he trained with the firm of Egedacher in Passau and came to London about 1741. When he retired in 1781, his business ...
organ (1756) was destroyed by fire in 1961. It was replaced in 1963 by a redundant T. C. Lewis organ from
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
. This is a large four-manual pipe organ with 65 stops. A specification of the organ can be found on the
National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...
.


List of organists


See also

*
Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire Derbyshire is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England. The Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Derbyshire includes the unitary authority of the city of Derby. This is a complete list of the Grade I l ...
*
Listed buildings in Chesterfield, Derbyshire Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield is a town and an unparished area in the Borough of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. The town and surrounding area contain 208 Listed building#England and Wales, listed buildings that are recorded in the ...


Gallery

File:Saint-mary-chesterfield.jpg, View of the church and spire File:Chesterfield.jpg, General view of Chesterfield from a distance, including the spire File:Chesterfield Church 1773 SHGrimm 005ADD000015537U00036000-SVC2-.JPG, The church in the 18th century as sketched by
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (18 January 1733 – 14 April 1794)''The Gentleman's Magazine'', 1794, p399 was an 18th-century Swiss landscape artist who worked in oils (until 1764), watercolours, and pen and ink media. Grimm specialised in documenti ...
File:Crooked Spire, Chesterfield in the Snow.JPG, The church in the snow, February 2009 File:High Altar, Chesterfield Parish Church.JPG, The high altar File:Chesterfield Spire.jpg, Church of St Mary and All Saints – "The Crooked Spire"


References


External links


Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints


{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesterfield, Church Of Saint Mary And All Saints Church of England church buildings in Derbyshire Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire Church of Saint Mary And All Saints Towers completed in the 14th century Inclined towers Tourist attractions of the Peak District Twisted buildings and structures