St Mary & All Saints - Chesterfield, UK
N 53° 14.163 W 001° 25.468
30U E 605153 N 5899688
The church of St Mary & All Saints is known as "the church with the crooked spire" and the reason is plain for all to see when visiting the church. The bells are located in the tower below the spire.
Waymark Code: WMNMP4
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/05/2015
Views: 3
Wikipedia has an article about the church that tells us:
The tower upon which the spire sits contains ten bells. These bells were cast in 1947 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, replacing a previous ring. The heaviest weighs 1270 kg (25cwt). The place in which the bells are situated once held the builders' windlass, which is one of the few examples of a medieval crane in existence and is the only example of one that has survived from a parish church. The windlass is now on display at Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery.
It is this twisted spire that gives the town's football club, Chesterfield F.C., their nickname; 'the Spireites'. A depiction of the spire also features on the club's crest.
The spire is open to the public most days (except Sundays and Good Friday) and can be climbed part way up. The views from the top of the tower on a clear day stretch for miles. The spire, which is used as a symbol of Chesterfield, can often be seen from the surrounding hill poking out of a sea of mist, on a winters morning.
The Friends of the Crooked Spire Chesterfield website indicates that access to the spire is available as follows:
Church Open Days are held each bank Holiday Monday between Easter and August with guided tours up the tower throughout the day. Tours are available at other times and by prior arrangement with the Parish Office [01246 206506]. Tower trips are also conducted by the verger on most Saturdays.
A Bing bird's eye view of the church can be seen here.