Activities Covered:
- The Crooked Spire
- Chesterfield Museum
- Golfing in Chesterfield
- Cinema
The Crooked Spire - St Mary's and All Saints
The spire reaches 228 foot into the air and is a well known highly visible landmark in the area. The reason it is twisted is because it has been built using unseasoned timber and the sheer weight of the herringbone lead plate covering (The lead weighs 32 Tons) caused it to twist. It currently leans 9ft off centre and is still moving
St Mary and All Saints is the largest church in Derbyshire. The building was dedicated in 1234, although it wasn't finished until 1360. The church is open all year 9am-5pm Mon to Sat and if you would like to take a guided tour up the tower then visit on a summer bank holiday, Parties by appointment. Costs around £1.50 for a tour
In the churchyard stands the town's first gas lamp of 1824, decorated by Joseph Bower. It originally stood in the market place. Chesterfield was the first town in Derbyshire to install electric street lighting in 1881.
Chesterfield Museum
Chesterfield Museum & Art Gallery, St Mary's Gate, Chesterfield, S41 7TD, Derbyshire, England
The museum tells the story of Chesterfield from its origin as a Roman fort to the present day. It is located in the Stephenson Memorial Hall, built in 1879 as a mechanics institute, and named in honour of the town's most famous Victorian resident, railway pioneer George Stephenson. The museum opened in 1994 and is the first public museum in the town - a suprising fact considering Chesterfield's long and important history as a midlands market town and industrial centre. The museum stands in the shadow of the famous 'Crooked Spire' of St Mary and All Saints and is a short walk from Chesterfield's excellent open market, one of the largest in the country.
Open 10:00-16:00 except Wed & Sun. Free admission. More information here.