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Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield. By Jules & Jenny. Wikimedia.

Top 10 Amazing Facts About Chesterfield Crooked Spire

Chesterfield Â鶹APPh Church is an Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.

The church construction began in 1234 AD, although the present is predominantly from the 14th century.

It is the largest parish church in the Diocese of Derby, and forms part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield.

In 1994 it became the UK’s only representative in the Association of the Twisted Spires of Europe.

With 72 member churches, it is deemed to have the greatest lean and twist.

1.An Anglican Church Dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints

 Chesterfield Â鶹APPh Church is an Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and All Saints, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.

Saint Mary, is the first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph, and the mother of Jesus.

Building of the church began in 1234 AD, although the present is predominantly from the 14th century.

It is the largest parish church in the Diocese of Derby, and forms part of the Archdeaconry of Chesterfield.

In 1994 it became the UK’s only representative in the Association of the Twisted Spires of Europe.

With 72 member churches, it is deemed to have the greatest lean and twist.

2.It was Once Part of a Roman Fort in the 1^st and 2^nd Centuries

There is evidence of the first Christian church, however, seems to date back to Anglo Saxon times.

 One can still see the Saxon font in the south transept of the church.

The font is thought to date from around 890-1050, but it was removed from the church many years ago.

Possibly to safeguard it during the Reformation or perhaps it was ordered out of the church during the Civil War years

The font was, however, discovered many years later, in 1898, hidden in the Vicarage garden.

 Much of the carving has been lost but it’s still possible to see details of leaves and a foliated cross.

3.It was Largely Expanded During Medieval Period, around 14^th Century

The church is largely medieval, with Early English, Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic features built of ashlar.

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.

It lost much of its medieval décor during the reformation in 1500s.

4.The Iconic “Crooked Spire Image” has Been Used for Ages

“The Crooked Spire” Church of St Mary and All Saints. Photo By Rob Bendall.

The spire was added in about 1362, its top is 228 feet above the ground.

It is both twisted and leaning, 45-degree twist causes the tip to lean 9 ft. off Centre.

The cause of it being twisted is not yet known, some says, workers were not skilled or use of insufficient cross bracing and use of unseasoned timber.

Also in the 17^th, they added 33 tons of lead sheeting covering the sphere, resting on former bracing that was 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.

The famous spire of Chesterfield Â鶹APPh Church has towered over the town for hundreds of years.

It is an iconic and memorable image that has been used time and again by local organizations and businesses.

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 ten bells, in the key of D. These bells were casted in 1947 and the heaviest weighs 1,300 kg.

5.Famous British Actor Sir John Hurt CBE grew up in the  Chesterfield Compound.

The star of the film A Man for All Seasons ,John Hurt lived in the spire church compound. Hurt was born John Vincent Hurt on 22 January 1940 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire,

He was the son of Phyllis, an engineer, and Arnold Herbert Hurt, a mathematician who became a Church of England clergyman and served as vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Shire brook, Derbyshire.

His father was previously vicar of St John’s parish in Sunderland, County Durham. In 1937, he moved his family to Derbyshire, where he became Perpetual Curate of Holy Trinity Church.

When Hurt was five, his father became the vicar of St Stephen’s Church in Woodville, Derbyshire, and remained there until 1953.

6.It is Registered Under Chesterfield Borough Council

Chesterfield has held Borough status since 1204 and had a mayor since the Elizabethan charter of 1598.

The Borough Council adopted the Spire as its logo in 1974.

In 2014, forty years after the original image was conceived, a new visual identity was created by Chesterfield-based Company Crush Design.

7.The Spireites F.C was named after church’s twisted Spire

Chesterfield town football club saw its foundation in 1871.The team adopted the well-known blue and white strip, the colour still worn by Chesterfield Football Club today.

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.

From its early days the team became known as the Spireites and, through thick and thin, through highs and lows, it’s been a name the team has always carried with pride.

8.Royal Oak in the Shambles, is the oldest pub

Located in a Grade II conservation area, the eye-catching black and white, half-timbered building is full of character.

There are beamed walls and stained glass windows in the smaller bar area and flagstone flooring and beams in the lounge.

Larger room was the original inn which had two rooms.

However, the building originally served as rest-house for The Knights Templar during the Holy Crusades of the 12th century.

During and after the medieval period the property was used as two butchers shops with inn accommodation.

The pub has been closed since August 2021.

9.Harold Pears Founded Spire Transport

Spire Transport was founded by Harold Pears in the 1950s, however, Spire Transport was purchased by Robinson’s and Sons in 1966 at a cost of £80,000. The new fleet was managed by Bill Rhodes and, under the chairmanship of E B Robinson and George Wallis, Spire Transport became a valuable subsidiary of Robinson’s

Spire Transport was well known for using the image of the spire on its vehicles.

10.Open to the Public Only Under Guided Tour 

The spire is open to the public, via organized 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, on a winter morning.