A Brief History
CRICH - means 'hilltop'. As you look around the site of St Mary's Church you soon realise that it is indeed sat upon the highest ground. The current site dates back to around 1135. Although there is evidence of 'Norman' influence inside the Church, most of the exterior dates from the 14th century.
Pevsnor, in the 'Buildings of England' calls St Mary's "quite an important church" and it is a grade one listed building.
The ringing chamber houses eight bells, five of these date back to the 17th and 18th Centuries. A sixth bell was added in 1910. In 1928 the bells were recast and tuned to the 1910 bell. At the same time two more bells were added as memorials to the men killed in the First World War. The bells are hung on two levels, the five heavier bells on the lower level.
The registers of the Church go back to the 16th Century. All the old records are now kept at the County Records Office in Matlock, Derbyshire but many of the Parish records are available online at Alan Flint's splendid site.
The Booklet - 'A Brief Tour Around St Mary's Church, Crich' is available from the Church. It is packed with interesting information about the Church and the old market town of Crich.
This page will eventually be developed into a virtual guided tour around the inside and outside of the church, so if you wish to know more then bookmark this page for returning here at another time. In the meantime here are some more photos, just click on the button to see the photo larger.
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St Mary's Church,
CRICH, Derbyshire.
(www.crichstmarys.org.uk)
History