Saint Alkmund's Church is a

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 activitie ...

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 Britai ...

in Duffield,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the no ...

History

It dates back to the first millennium, and is situated on the banks of the River Derwent to the south of

Duffield, Derbyshire Duffield is a village in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, north of Derby. It is centred on the western bank of the River Derwent at the mouth of the River Ecclesbourne. It is within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Area and t ...

, England. It is the parish church of Duffield, and is associated with the nearby church of St Paul's in

Little Eaton Little Eaton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire. The population as taken at the 2011 Census was 2,430. The name originated from Anglo Saxon times and means the "little town by the water". It is on the former rou ...

. In times past, the Parish of Duffield was much larger than it is now, covering the area known as

Duffield Frith Duffield Frith was, in medieval times, an area of Derbyshire in England, part of that bestowed upon Henry de Ferrers (or Ferrars) by King William, controlled from his seat at Duffield Castle. From 1266 it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster ...

. The church's distance from the centre of the village is thought be because it was next to Duffield Bridge, which was used by pilgrims and other travellers.Bland.J., (Circa 1900) ''Notes on Duffield Church, a paper read before the Church of England Men's Society, Duffield Branch.'' Derby: J.H. Hall
/ref> The church is

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 Ire ...

. The current building dates from the 14th century, but was restored in 1847 by

James Piers St Aubyn James Piers St Aubyn (6 April 1815 – 8 May 1895), often referred to as J P St Aubyn, was an English architect of the Victorian era, known for his church architecture and confident restorations. Early life St Aubyn was born at Powick Vicara ...

and in 1896–97 by

John Oldrid Scott John Oldrid Scott (17 July 1841 – 30 May 1913) was a British architect. Biography He was the son of Sir Gilbert Scott (George Gilbert Scott) and his wife Caroline (née Oldrid). His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles Gi ...

. Its

weathercock A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , ...

was installed in 1719 by ironsmith Robert Bakewell. The church is in a joint ecclesiastical parish with

St Paul's Church, Little Eaton St Paul's Church, Little Eaton is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England in Little Eaton, Derbyshire. History Construction of the church started in 1791 and it was consecrated on 9 July 1791 by the Bishop of Lichfield, James Co ...

, which was formerly part of

Bells

During the restoration of 1887, the peal of eight bells was augmented to ten by a gift from

Sir Arthur Heywood, 3rd Baronet Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, 3rd Baronet (25 December 1849 – 19 April 1916) is best known today as the innovator of the fifteen inch minimum gauge railway, for estate use. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Percival Heywood ...

. St Alkmund's is one of only a few churches outside the larger centres so endowed.

Organ

The church has a pipe organ by Cousans dating from 1972. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duffield Church of England church buildings in Derbyshire Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire

History

Bells

Organ

See also

References

External links