Country United Kingdom Churchmanship Broad Church Length 43 m Diocese Diocese of Derby | Denomination Church of England Dedication St. Mary Phone +44 1629 824707 Province Province of Canterbury | |
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Website www.wirksworthteamministry.co.uk Heritage designation Grade I listed building Address Parish Rooms, St Marys Gate, Wirksworth, Matlock DE4 4DQ, United Kingdom Similar Wirksworth Heritage Centre, Hopton Hall, Wirksworth railway station, All Saints' Church - Bakewell, Black Rocks | ||
St mary s church wirksworth
St. Mary's Church, Wirksworth, is a parish church in the Church of England in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. It is a Grade I listed building dating mostly from the 13th century, but with notable survivals from the Anglo-Saxon period. It was restored in 1870 by Sir Gilbert Scott.
Contents
Description
The church is notable for its Anglo-Saxon carvings, and a large Anglo-Saxon coffin lid which was discovered in the churchyard in 1820. It is now mounted on the north wall of the nave. It appears to date from the second half of the 7th century. The church is also noted for containing an Anglo-Saxon carving of a lead miner, "Th' owd Man", the oldest representation of a miner anywhere in the world. It was moved here in 1863 from Bonsall church for safe-keeping and has never been returned. The parishioners of Bonsall have had a replica carved for their church.
It is one of the few remaining churches in Britain which still performs the ancient custom of Clipping the church. This takes place on the first Sunday after 8 September, the Sunday after the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Memorials
In the north aisle are the tombs of the Gell family. Sir Anthony Gell (d. 1583) has his statue on his tomb. Alongside is the simpler tomb of his father, Sir Ralph Gell.
The chancel contains the tomb of Anthony Lowe, a Gentleman of the Bedchamber who served Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I and died in 1555.
Abraham Bennet, the inventor of the gold-leaf electroscope and developer of an improved magnetometer.
The churchyard contains the tomb of Matthew Peat of Alderwasley, who died 11 December 1751, at an alleged age of 109 years and 10 months.
Parish status
The church is in a joint parish with
Vicars
This list is taken from the list displayed by the South Porch door inside the church.
Organ
In 1826 a 2 manual organ was installed by Thomas Elliot. It cost £400 (equivalent to £30,309 as of 2015), raised by subscriptions, and was placed in the tower of the church, but it was removed in 1853 to a more convenient location in the nave.
The church had a 3-manual 26 speaking stop tubular pneumatic action pipe organ installed in the north transept in 1899 by Brindley & Foster. It was rebuilt in 1955 by Kingsgate Davidson with electric action.
This organ was replaced in 1987 by a 3-manual 48 speaking stop Makin electronic digital organ.