Chesterfield

Famous for the crooked spire of its Parish Church, Chesterfield is also home to one of the largest open-air markets in the country. More than 200 stalls pack the town centre every Monday, Friday and Saturday all year round, and visitors on Thurdays can rummage around the popular flea market.

Here is a link to Multimap centred on Chesterfield: Click on the icon for a larger map of the area.

The Council now have their own web site

Call in at the town's museum to find out how the market began - and why it grew.

Read about Chesterfield's Breweries and its lost pubs

See how the spire was built - and what made it crooked.

How did it happen? Legend tells of a powerful magician who persuaded a Bolsover blacksmith to shoe the Devil. The blacksmith, however drove a nail into the Devil's foot. Howling with rage, the Devil took flight towards Chesterfield. Skimming over the Church, he lashed out in agony, caught the spire and twisted it out of shape. Then again, was it lightning? Or did Lucifer sit on the Church and spitefully let his massive weight crush its elegant spire? Local people of course have their own explanation. Rumour had it that a virgin was getting married at the church,and the spire, never having seen a virgin bride before, leaned over to have a closer look. Should the event ever happen again, the spire will think it commonplace and straighten up.

There are, of course, more mundane explanations.

Historians tell us of the dark year 1349 and the outbreak of the Black Death in Chesterfield - around the time that the spire was being built. Did too many skilled craftsmen fall to the Plague? Did the survivors use too much green timber in the spire?

Architects note the lack of cross-bracing in the 8 sides of the structure, and remind us of the weight of those lead tiles which cover the wooden spire - all 32 tons of them!

The rest of the damage is blamed on sun, rain, wind and, according to one expert, bell-ringing!

St Mary and All Saints is so often overshadowed by its spire that many people don't notice that its the largest church in Derbyshire.

The church does have some unusual treasures. Workmen dismantling the old heating system in the Holy Cross chapel wanted to brick up an old water trough they'd found at the back of the chimney. It took some time for a churchwarden to convince them that it was an Early English piscina (a basin for washing communion vessels).

The same chapel also has an unusual hagioscope, used by members of the Guild of the Holy Cross to watch the elevation of the Host at the High Altar. And another treasure came to light in 1898 when the Norman font was uncovered (literally uncovered) in the Vicarage garden!

The church faced its greatest danger at 9 a.m. on 22nd December, 1961. Fire broke out in the North Transept and flames swept through the building to threaten the spire itself.

Within minutes the roads were packed with fire engines, but it took two hours to get the blaze under control and the cost of the damage came to £30,000.

Christmas services were still held in the building a few weeks later, and the church along with its famous spire, weathered the storm to remain the symbol of Chesterfield.

Chesterfield Canal and the Cuckoo Way

Constructed in the 1770s, the canal lead from Chesterfield to the River Trent. Today only the length from Worksop to West Stockwith is fully navigable, but a section from Tapton Lock, near Chesterfield, is open and boat trips are organised during the summer months at weekends and on Bank Holiday Mondays. It is possible to walk the entire towpath, known asthe Cuckoo Way, but walkers should first seek detailed guidance by phoning 01246 274077.

Chesterfield Museum

Walk around the 'Story of Chesterfield'. See how the Parish Church - and its famous spire - were built. Discover why the Romans came here - and why they stayed and built a fort.

Find out how the market began - and why it grew. Explore the industries of 18th Century Chesterfield, and unearth the town's connection with the 'Father of the Railways' George Stephenson and the revolution of 1688.

Take a look around the Art Gallery, where the works of local artist Joseph Sydall are on show.

Open all year Monday to Saturday (except Wednesday), 10:00 to 16:00. Admission Free. Telephone 01246 345727.

This page is provided as a service to the community by Jon Rouse

Last updated August 1998