Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield

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Chesterfield Parish Church
The Parish Church of St. Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield
File:Chesterfield Parish Church.jpg
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Location Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship High Church
Website Official Website
History
Dedication St. Mary and All Saints
Architecture
Status Parish Church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade I listed building
Completed 14th century
Specifications
Number of spires 1
Spire height 70m
Materials Lead
Administration
Parish Chesterfield
Deanery Chesterfield
Archdeaconry Chesterfield
Diocese Derby
Province Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s) Patrick Coleman
Laity
Churchwarden(s) Mr Colin McKenna
Dr Malcolm Wilkinson

Chesterfield Parish Church is an Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints, located in the town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. Predominantly dating back to the 14th century, the church is a Grade I listed building[1] and is most known for its twisted spire, an architectural phenomenon which has led to the church being given the common byname of the Crooked Spire. The largest church in Derbyshire, it lies within the Diocese of Derby, in which it forms part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield.[2][3]

History

The church is largely mediaeval with Early English, Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic built of ashlar. It comprises a nave, aisles, north and south transepts and the chancel which is surrounded by 4 Guild chapels.

The north transept was rebuilt in 1769 and George Gilbert Scott carried out a general restoration in 1843 when a new ceiling was installed and a new east window inserted with stained glass by William Wailes of Newcastle. A new font was donated by Samuel Johnson of Somersal Hall. The church reopened on 9 May 1843.[4]

Lightning struck the church spire on 11 March 1861 which snapped the gas lighting pipes in the tower and a fire started in 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 twelve o’clock bell.[5]

A further restoration was started in 1896 by Temple Lushington Moore.[6]

A fire on 22 December 1961 destroyed many of the interior fittings, including the Snetzler organ. Surviving notable elements are the south transept screen of circa 1500, the Norman font and a Jacobean pulpit. The High Altar reredos was installed in 1898 and designed by Temple Lushington Moore.

Crooked Spire

The spire

The spire was added to the 14th century tower in about 1362.[7] It is both twisted and leaning, twisting 45 degrees and leaning 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) from its true centre. The leaning characteristic was initially suspected to be the result of the absence of skilled craftsmen (the Black Death had been gone only twelve years prior to the spire's completion), insufficient cross-bracing, and the use of unseasoned timber.[citation needed]

It is now believed that the twisting of the spire was caused by the lead that covers the spire. The lead causes this twisting phenomenon, because when the sun shines during the day the south side of the tower heats up, causing the lead there to expand at a greater rate than that of the north side of the tower, resulting in unequal expansion and contraction. This was compounded by the weight of the lead (approx. 33 tons) which the spire's bracing was not originally designed to bear. Also it was common practice to use unseasoned timber at the time the spire was built as when the wood was seasoned it was too hard to work with, so as unseasoned wood was used they would have made adjustments as it was seasoning in place.

In common folklore, there are numerous explanations as to why the spire is twisted. One well established legend goes that a virgin once married in the church, and the church was so surprised that the spire turned around to look at the bride, and continues that if another virgin marries in the church, the spire will return to true again. Several local legends hold that the Devil was responsible. In one tale, a Bolsover blacksmith mis-shoed the Devil, who leaped over the spire in pain, knocking it out of shape. A similar story has the Devil causing mischief in Chesterfield, seating himself on the spire and wrapping his tail around it. The people of the town rang the church bells and the Devil, frightened by the clamour, tried to jump away with his tail still wound about the spire, causing it to twist.

The tower upon which the spire sits contains ten bells. These bells were cast in 1947 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, replacing a previous ring. The heaviest weighs 1270 kg (25cwt). The place in which the bells are situated once held the builders' windlass, which is one of the few examples of a medieval crane in existence and is the only example of one that has survived from a parish church. The windlass is now on display at Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery.[citation needed]

It is this twisted spire that gives the town's football club, Chesterfield F.C., their nickname; 'the Spireites'. A depiction of the spire also features on the club's crest.

Tours

The spire is open to the public most days (except Sundays and Good Friday) and can be climbed part way up. [8] 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 often be seen from the surrounding hill poking out of a sea of mist, on a winters morning.

Vicars

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Organ

The vast majority of the original John Snetzler organ (1756) was destroyed by fire in 1961.[10] It was replaced in 1963 by a redundant T.C. Lewis organ from Glasgow. This is a large 4 manual pipe organ with 65 stops. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[11]

List of organists

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

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Gallery

  • Saint-mary-chesterfield.jpg

    View of the church and spire

  • General view of Chesterfield from a distance, including the spire

  • The church in the 18th century as sketched by Samuel Hieronymus Grimm

  • Crooked Spire, Chesterfield in the Snow.JPG

    The church in the snow, February 2009

  • High Altar, Chesterfield Parish Church.JPG

    The high altar

  • Chesterfield Spire.jpg

    Church of St Mary and All Saints – "The Crooked Spire"

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Derbyshire, Chesterfield: St. Mary and All Saints, Church Way (N01874), National Pipe Organ Register, UK, 2005.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

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