| Chesterfield is a market
town nestling at the foot of the Derbyshire Peak District. The town was
granted a royal market charter in the early 1600's and since then it has
grown steadily in stature; once boasting the largest open-air market in the
country. Nowadays the market comprises dozens of stalls in the open air
section together with its monumental market hall, which escaped destruction
in the 1970's when it was refurbished. Market Days: Monday, Friday, Saturday Flea Market: Thursday |
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The Shambles is a narrow street off Market Place. One of it's features is the Royal Oak public house, which, according to it's signboard, was first mentioned as an inn in 1722, formerly being a rest house for the Knights Templar a band of Crusaders. |
| Chesterfield is famous
for its most dominating feature, the "Crooked Spire" of St Mary and All Saints
(the Parish Church). Construction of the building began in the mid 13th century, although the site is known to have been occupied by a church at least 100 years earlier. The spire was added towards the end of the 14th Century. Octagonal in design, it stands 228 feet high and leans 9ft 4in from the perpendicular. In fact the twisting is a continuous process - in 1975 the lean was only 8ft 7in; in 1922 7ft 6in and in 1818 just 6ft. This phenomenon is believed to have been caused by the warping of unseasoned timber used in its construction, accentuated by the weight of the heavy lead plates which form its herringbone covering. Today's experts have proclaimed the spire to be quite safe, but its future was not always so certain. |
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Chesterfield's new shopping precinct which was opened in April 2000. The new precinct was built on what used to be Vicar Lane and amongst the many new stores is a brand new Woolworths and a BHS. |
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The Peacock
centre was built around 1500 for the wealthy Revell family and around
1680 it was used as a home for two prominent families, the Wheldons and the
Bretlands. In 1892 the building was converted into a public house and became known as "The Peacock". It retains this name today, although only half of the original building survives, and the ground floor is now home to Chesterfield's Tourist Information Centre. The first floor is now a Heritage Centre and houses a changing programme of exhibitions and video about Chesterfield. |
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| During the redevelopment of Chesterfield's Low Pavement, workmen found, beneath the tattered late Victorian cladding, substantial remnants of a Tudor building. The building was restored in 1982 to illustrate, as nearly as possible, the form it would have taken when originally constructed. |
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