The Chesterfield Parish Church, Church of St Mary's and All Saints, Church of the Crooked Spire, Church of England, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England

St Mary and All Saints, Church of the Crooked Spire, Chesterfield Derbyshire

The Church is the largest in Derbyshire
and is a Grade I listed building.



	Homepage
	Services
	Information
	Interior Features
	Spire
	Church Music
	Facts & Fantasies
	Saints Parish Centre
	Church Shop
	Church Organisations
	The Friends Charity
	St Leonard's Spital
	Links
	Contact Us

About The Spire	<<Back to previous page
The spire was added to the 14th century tower about the year 1362. The structure is an oak frame, clad with lead, and an interior view of the timber frame is one of the most remarkable sights in the whole church. Where the top of the stone tower and base of the wooden spire meet no fixing is apparent, so that the spire merely sits balanced unattached on the top of the tower. It rises to a height of 70m (228 ') above the ground and leans 2.89m (9' 6'') to the south-west. The spiral twist at the base is about 45° from west to east.
Why is it crooked? It is important to distinguish two elements in the spire’s ‘crookedness’ : The inclination and the twist. It is unfortunate that most people use the word ‘crooked’ unhelpfully, combining the above two features. The inclination (lean) is due to a number of factors: the use of unseasoned (green) timber, the absence of skilled craftsmen (Black Death) and the neglect of cross-bracing. The spiral twist is considered to be by design. Why was the spire built from ‘green timber’? The use of ‘green timber’ was a normal part of medieval carpentry, owing to the fact that it could be bent and shaped during construction. It was also less wearing on tools. Recent examples of the use of ‘green oak’ are to be found in York Minster, Windsor Castle and the Globe Theatre in London.
There are church Open Days each Bank Holiday Monday with guided tours up the Tower throughout the day. Tours are available at other times and by prior arrangement with the Parish Office. Tower trips are also conducted by the verger on most Saturdays.
<<Back to previous page