Derbyshire Churches and Chapels
Caldwell St Giles, Church Lane
SK253172
An ancient chapelry, adjacent to Caldwell Hall and still displaying signs of its Norman origin despite Victorian refurbishment. Contents of interest include some stained glass roundels of c1400 and the early C19 chamber organ (installed in 1996).
SUNDAY SERVICE: 10.00
KEY AVAILABLE: from Mrs Mizuro, Church Farm, Church Lane
Coton-In-The-Elms St Mary, Church Street SK244154
The village is square in plan and was once lined with elms - which unfortunately succombed to the Dutch Elm Disease of the 1960's. The church is by H I Stevens, 1 wide nave without aisles. Plans are under way to refurbish the interior.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 11.30 (3rd), 6.30 (1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th)
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 760811 (Mrs Scott)
(street) Other facilities planned
Findern All Saints, The Green SK309305
All Saints is most attractively situated overlooking the village green. Designed by Stevens & Robinson it dates from 1864, though a Norman tympanum reminds us of the previous building, together with an incised slab to Isbella de Fynderne, 1444.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 9.30
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 701307 (Mr Chisnall)
Foremark St Saviour (Grade I) SK329226
From the Milton-Ingleby road take the HGV track to Foremark Hall (Repton Preparatory School); park on grass triangle in front of church. It may be slightly difficult to find but it is certainly worth the effort. The church is important on two accounts - for its architecture and for its furnishings. Built in 1662 it is not only one of the few Restoration churches outside London, but it is still in a surviving form of Perpendicular Gothic - battlemented tower and nave with depressed arch windows. Once inside we discover a totally unrestored "Prayer Book" interior, with contemporary box pews, communicants' pews, screen, chancel panelling, communion table, font and 3-decker pulpit. In addition to all this the wrought iron communion rails are by Robert Bakewell as are the gates leading towards the Hall.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 8.00 (4th only), 6.30 (2nd only)
CHURCH OPEN: DAILY
Publication: A Brief History of Foremark
Hartshorne St Peter, Church Street SK327208
Tower and chancel are of the C15 but the nave was rebuilt in 1835. The window traceries of the latter are of cast iron as are the columns supporting the west gallery (and organ). There is an interesting alabaster monument (1599) to Humphrey Dethick, his wife and family.
SUNDAY SERVICES: 8.30 (1st & 3rd), 10.30 (weekly)
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 217866 (Rector)
(lane at side)
Church Web Site
Repton St Wystan (Grade I)
SK303272
At first glance this is a fairly typical, large Gothic church, mainly of the 14th century, with an unusually tall spire reaching up to 212 feet - a church that many a village or town would be proud to possess. But enshrined within is something even more special, for on a site where the first Christians came to Mercia in 654 we have the substantial remnant of a 9th century Saxon minster built over an 8th century crypt. The latter, originally a burial chamber for the South Mercian King, Wiglaf, became the shrine of his canonized grandson, Wystan, murdered in 849. The crypt remains intact and may be entered by the little stairs in the SE corner of the north nave aisle, while the upper church is still visible in the walls of the chancel and in some of the masonry at the eastern end of the nave. On a site to the east of the church is the oldest part of Repton School, founded in the 16th century and using the buildings of the dissolved Augustinian Priory. In the south east chapel now stands the fine modern organ by Peter Collins (1998) with its spectacular casework inspired by that of Old Radnor (C16th - the earliest in Britain).
SUNDAY SERVICES: 8.00, 10.00, 6.30
CHURCH OPEN: DAILY, 8.15 TILL 8.00 (TILL DUSK IN WINTER)
Publications: H M Taylor, St. Wystan's Church Repton
There is also an interesting brochure, Repton Trail, by Repton Village History Group
The C14 tower with its rebuilt broach spire still remains. The nave, however, is of 1819 - a wide, aisleless structure with three large, two-light Gothic windows in each of its side walls, the middle one on the south wall having its lower half replaced by a porch. The shallow sanctuary, only slightly less wide than the nave, has the uniquely attractive feature of a triple chancel arch - a transverse arcade in which the central arch is just marginally larger than the two side ones. Save for the later Victorian furnishings the interior is quite unaltered and well worth a visit.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 8.45 (2nd to 5th), 10.30 (1st only)
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 761416 (Mrs Leedham) or (01283) 761436 (Mrs Marbrow)
(street)
Swadlincote Emmanuel, Church Street SK303196
Designed by H I Stevens this church has altered little from its completion in 1846: no tower, aisleless nave, transepts and apsidal sanctuary. Bomb damage in the First World War almost precipitated a total rebuilding, but the plans were eventually modified to take the form of a refurbishment of the existing church - the only exterior alteration being the removal of a bellcote from the west gable.
SUNDAY SERVICES: 10.00, 6.30
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 217756 (Vicar)
Publications: C Jackson, Emmanuel the Parish Church of Swadlincote
C Jackson, Notes for a Walk round Swadlincote Parish Church
Walton-Upon-Trent St Laurence, Station Lane SK216183
Walton is linked to Staffordshire, over the river, by a bridge, from where there is a pleasant view of the village. The church is large, with plenty that is of interest, in particular the substantial Perpendicular tower and the late Norman south arcade; the chancel is C13 with trefoiled sedilia, while the large south transept was a chantry, founded in 1334. Amongst later items of interest are a small, but very effective Bevington organ of c1870 and some fine early C20 wood carving in the choirstalls and elsewhere by a Rector of the period.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 10.00
CONTACT: Tel: (01283) 711350 The Rector, (01283) 713445 (Mrs. Hall the Churchwarden) or (01283) 713506 (Mr Adams, History Consultant)
(street)
Willington St Michael, Hall Lane SK295283
A small, plain nave and chancel, possibly of Norman origin, without aisles but with a very large north transept of c1824. Of this same date is the flat plaster ceiling throughout. Leaning against the chancel wall is an incised slab memorial to a C17 organist. The attractiveness of the interior - albeit somewhat lopsided in shape - is in its simple, pre-Victorian elegance. Well worth a visit.
SUNDAY SERVICE: 10.30 (1st & 3rd), 8.00am (2nd & 4th), 6.00pm (2nd, 4th & 5th)
KEY USUALLY AVAILABLE: details in porch
Publication: The Church of St Michael Willington
Winshill St. Mark Church St. SK267235
Built in 1869 it has a striking 150ft (46metre) spire. It is aligned NE-SW, not the usual E-W direction. The interior is Victorian Gothic in style. The chancel arch is in Devonshire marble and local alabaster. The organ is by Walker. The rose window is a copy of the one in Turin cathedral. In the churchyard is the grave of William Harold Coltman VC,DCM,MM (Staffordshire Regiment).
CONTACT: 01283 545043 (Vicar)
SUNDAY SERVICE: 8.00, 10.15, 6.00pm (January, February 4.00pm)
(at top of church drive)