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Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield

Coordinates: 53°14′10″N 1°25′27″W / 53.2361°N 1.4241°W / 53.2361; -1.4241
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Chesterfield Parish Church
The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
Map
53°14′10″N 1°25′27″W / 53.2361°N 1.4241°W / 53.2361; -1.4241
LocationChesterfield, Derbyshire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
WebsiteOfficial Website
History
StatusParish Church
DedicationSt Mary and All Saints
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeGothic
Completed14th century
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameParish Church of St Mary and All Saints
Designated15 July 1971
Reference no.1334708
Specifications
Number of spires1
Spire height230 ft (70 m)
MaterialsLead
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseDerby
ArchdeaconryChesterfield
DeaneryNorth East Derbyshire
ParishChesterfield
Clergy
Vicar(s)Canon Patrick Coleman
Assistant priest(s)Fr Iain Faulkner; Venerable Karen Hamblin; Fr John Pinder-Packard; Fr Steven Tricklebank
Laity
Reader(s)John Gascoyne
Organist(s)Peter Shepherd; Christopher Black (assistant)
Churchwarden(s)John Hague; Colin McKenna

Chesterfield Parish Church is an Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. Building of the church began in 1234 AD, though the present church dates predominantly from the 14th century.[1] Designated a Grade I listed building in 1971,[2] 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 and forms part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield.[3][4] 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.[5]

History

[edit]

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, 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.[1] The church is largely medieval, with Early English, Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic features built of ashlar.[6] It is laid out in a classic cruciform and comprises a nave, aisles, north and south transepts and the chancel which is surrounded by four guild chapels.

During the Reformation 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 in the 1840s.[2] A new ceiling was installed and new east window inserted with stained glass by William Wailes of Newcastle.[citation needed] A new font was donated by Samuel Johnson of Somersal Hall.[citation needed] After a nine-month closure, the church reopened on 9 May 1843.[7]

In 1810, a peal of 10 bells was installed in the steeple underneath the spire,[8] which could be heard up to four miles away, in a quieter age.[1] 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.[9] However, it was decided the spire could instead be repaired.[10]

On 11 March 1861, the church spire was struck by lightning, damaging gas lighting 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.[11]

A further restoration was begun in 1896 by Temple Lushington Moore.[12] Moore designed the High Altar reredos, 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 at a quarter to eleven as a pancake bell.[13]

A further fire erupted on 22 December 1961, this time engulfing the north of the church.[14] 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 c. 1500, the Norman font and a Jacobean pulpit – 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 pipe organ.[1] 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.[15]

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.[16] Preservation and restoration work on the older stained glass was carried out from 2007 to 2012.[17]

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.[18]

In 2020, the Church was awarded a 'lifeline grant' from the Culture Recovery Fund 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.[19]

In August 2022, a man was murdered in the churchyard.[20][21]

Crooked spire

[edit]
The spire

The spire was added in about 1362; its top is 228 feet (69 m) above the ground.[5][22][23] It is both twisted and leaning: the 45-degree twist causes the tip to lean 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) off centre. The reason is uncertain and still debated: suggestions include lack of skilled workers because of the Black Death, which occurred as much of the church was being built; the use of insufficient cross bracing and 'green timber' – unseasoned timber;[2] and also the 17th-century addition of 33 tons[24] of lead sheeting covering the spire, resting on 14th-century bracing not designed to carry such weight.[1] 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.[citation needed]

The steeple below the spire contains 10 bells, in the key of D.[25] There is also an eleventh 'Shriving' or 'Curfew Bell'. During the early 1800s, Chesterfield was a base for the holding of Napoleonic 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.[1] The present set of bells were cast in 1947 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, the heaviest weighing 1,270 kg (25 cwt). The place in which the bells are now housed once held a builders' windlass, 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.[26]

The Church's twisted spire gave the town's football club Chesterfield F.C. their nickname, The Spireites. A depiction of the spire also features on the club's crest.[27] 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.[1]

There are local folk legends as to why the spire is twisted, mostly involving the Devil. In one, a Bolsover blacksmith 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.[24] 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.[28]

Tours

[edit]

The spire is open to the public, via organised tours[29] and can be climbed partway up.[30] 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, on a winter morning.

Vicars

[edit]
  • 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[31]

Organ

[edit]

The vast majority of the original John Snetzler organ (1756) was destroyed by fire in 1961.[32] It was replaced in 1963 by a redundant T. C. Lewis organ from Glasgow. 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.[33]

List of organists

[edit]
  • Thomas Layland 1756–c. 1772
  • Samuel Bower c. 1772–1808 joint with Sarah Bower (daughter) from c. 1787
  • Sarah Bower (becomes Mrs Dutton in 1807) c. 1787–1847
  • Thomas Tallis Trimnell 1847[34]–1874
  • Henry John Vaughan 1874[35]−1875 (formerly assistant organist of Gloucester Cathedral)
  • Henry Norman Biggin 1875–1910[36]
  • J. Frederic Staton 1910–1938[37] (formerly organist of All Saints' Church, Ashover)
  • Reginald Cooper 1938–1947
  • Charles Alan Bryars 1947[38]–1970
  • Michael Baker 1970–2005
  • Ian Brackenbury 2006–2019
  • Dr Paul Nash 2019–2022
  • Peter Shepherd (2023– )

See also

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[edit]
  • View of the church and spire
    View of the church and spire
  • General view of Chesterfield from a distance, including the spire
    General view of Chesterfield from a distance, including the spire
  • The church in the 18th century as sketched by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
    The church in the 18th century as sketched by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
  • The church in the snow, February 2009
    The church in the snow, February 2009
  • The high altar
    The high altar
  • Church of St Mary and All Saints – "The Crooked Spire"
    Church of St Mary and All Saints – "The Crooked Spire"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Crooked Spire". Chesterfield Borough Council. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Historic England. "Church of St Mary and All Saints (Grade I) (1334708)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ^ "About Chesterfield Parish Church". Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Crooked Spire Church". Visit Chesterfield & Bolsover. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Chesterfield Crooked Spire". Peak District Online. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1978). The Buildings of England: Derbyshire. Revised by Elizabeth Williamson. Penguin Books. pp. 140–141. ISBN 0-14-071008-6.
  7. ^ "Reopening of Chesterfield Church". Derby Mercury. Derby. 17 May 1843. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Chronological History of Chesterfield". Chesterfield & District Local History Society. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  9. ^ Hall, George (1839). The history of Chesterfield; with particulars of the hamlets contiguous to the town, and descriptive accounts of Chatsworth, Hardwick, and Bolsover Castle. London: Whittaker & Co. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. ^ Bradley, Richard (2019). Chesterfield in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445690643. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Fire at Chesterfield Church". Sheffield Independent. Sheffield. 16 March 1861. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Chesterfield Parish Church Restoration. Appointment of an Architect". Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald. Derby. 30 May 1896. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  13. ^ "OLD LENTEN FARE". Globe. 1 March 1911. p. 1.
  14. ^ "Fire at Chesterfield Parish Church 1961". Picture the Past. Derby City Council/Derbyshire County Council. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Organ of the Month 71: May 2008". Birmingham Organists' Association. 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. ^ "St Mary and All Saints' Parish Church, Chesterfield – Part 2". Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Chesterfield Parish Church". MDS Stained Glass. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  18. ^ Wainwright, Martin (6 March 2000). "Spire's fall from grace gains pace". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  19. ^ Marsh, Josh (10 November 2020). "Chesterfield's Crooked Spire Church receives lifeline grant from Government's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund". Destination Chesterfield. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Ex-boxer killed dad, pictured, in Crooked Spire screwdriver attack". DerbyshireLive. 15 February 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Chesterfield man guilty of screwdriver murder at church". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  22. ^ "About The Spire". Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  23. ^ Tomkins, Rodney (2000). Derbyshire: Churches and Chapels. Scarthin Books. ISBN 9781900446020.
  24. ^ a b "Chesterfield's Crooked Spire: Mission with a Twist". Diocese of Derby. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Bell Ringing". Chesterfield parish. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  26. ^ "Medieval Builders' Wheel". Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery. Archived from the original on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  27. ^ "How to find us". Chesterfield F.C. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  28. ^ Bowen, Rhys (28 June 2014). "Tales Of Virgins, The Devil And The Crooked Spire". Chesterfield Post. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  29. ^ "Visiting Chesterfield Parish Church". Chesterfield parish. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Church Visits". The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  31. ^ "New vicar for Crooked Spire in Chesterfield". Derbyshire Times. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  32. ^ "The Derbyshire Times remembers the Spire fire". Derbyshire Times. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  33. ^ "Derbyshire, Chesterfield: St. Mary and All Saints, Church Way (N01874)". UK: National Pipe Organ Register. 2005. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Chesterfield Organ". Derbyshire Courier. Sheffield. 1 January 1848. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  35. ^ "Chesterfield Parish Church. Appointment of Organist". Derbyshire Times. England. 3 January 1874. Retrieved 18 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  36. ^ "Popular Chesterfield Organist's Death". Alfreton Journal. England. 4 March 1910. Retrieved 18 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  37. ^ "Dr. J.F. Staton". Halifax Evening Courier. England. 9 May 1938. Retrieved 18 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  38. ^ Who's Who in Music (First Post War ed.). Shaw Publishing Ltd. 1949–1950.
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