St Michael and All Angels' Church, Hathersage explained

St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Hathersage
Coordinates:53.3333°N -1.6504°W
Location:Hathersage
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Dedication:St Michael and All Angels
Vicar:Paul Moore
People:Emma Parkinson (PSO)[1]
Heritage Designation:Grade I listed
Parish:Hathersage
Deanery:Peak
Archdeaconry:Chesterfield
Diocese:Diocese of Derby

St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Hathersage, is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Hathersage, Derbyshire.[2]

History

The church dates from the 14th century. It was restored between 1851 and 1852 by William Butterfield and reopened on 15 April 1852.[3] The whitewash on the walls was removed and the outer pillars and buttresses were renewed. The church was re-pewed with open seats. A new stained-glass window by William Wailes of Newcastle was inserted at the east end of the chancel. There is a stained-glass window by Charles Kempe, which was removed from Derwent Chapel before it was submerged under the Ladybower Reservoir. The church was tiled with Minton encaustic tiles. The total cost of the restoration was £1,575[4] .

There were some further extensions added in 1949. New gutter lining and the instalment of diorite plugs improved the waterproofing of the building.

Tomb of Little John

Stones in the churchyard mark what is claimed to be the grave of Little John, where in 1780 James Shuttleworth claims to have unearthed a thigh bone measuring . This would have made Little John in height.[5]

Parish status

The church is in a joint parish with St John the Baptist's Church, Bamford and Derwent. The decision to merge the churches was made in 2014 because of financial hardship and enabled all three churches to survive.

Memorials

Organ

The church contains a pipe organ by James Jepson Binns which was formerly in Wadsley Bridge Methodist Church, Sheffield, and was moved here in 1981 by Gilbert Sellers. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Bells

The tower contains a ring of six bells[6] with the oldest dating from ca. 1520. In addition there is a sanctus bell dating from ca. 1499.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hathersage Parish Church . 18 September 2023.
  2. The Buildings of England. Derbyshire. Nikolaus Pevsner. Yale University Press. 1978.
  3. News: . Hathersage Church . Derbyshire Courier . Derby . 10 April 1852 . 10 April 2015 .
  4. News: . Re-opening of Hathersage Church . Derbyshire Courier . Derby . 17 April 1852 . 10 April 2015 .
  5. Web site: Little John's Grave . 17 August 2017 . Alan P. . Newman . Atlas Obscura . 18 September 2023.
  6. Web site: Hathersage, Derbys. S Michael & All Angels . . 6 April 2012 . . Dovemaster . 8 January 2017 .