Chesterfield church’s Crooked Spire is heritage-rich top tourist attraction in region

Derbyshire is a beautiful, heritage-rich region packed with lovely landmarks and top tourist attractions. 

Amongst the long list of fabulous places to visit is the Crooked Spire at The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints. 

Locals may be used to seeing the wonky spire, however the history and legends behind this architectural feat is nothing short of remarkable. 

There is a reason why this lopsided spire is a beloved destination. 

Did you know Crooked Spire is 228 feet high, making it taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa that stands 186 feet high?

The Crooked Spire leans around 9 feet from its original centre and if seen for the first time, can be awe-inspiring.

Crooked Spire has fans and is one of Derbyshire’s highlights

The Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints, where the Crooked Spire is based, also sits pretty at number two on best things to do in Chesterfield on Tripadvisor.

Fans have hailed the twisted spire as ‘amazing,’ ‘legendary’ and ‘must be seen up close to be fully appreciated.’

People can learn more about the church and spire by taking a Crooked Spire Tower Tour.

These take place every Friday and Saturday from 2.30 pm, where you can climb 152 steps and be rewarded with pretty views across Chesterfield.

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Harry Potter-esque story legend behind Crooked Spire Chesterfield

Fun and fanciful stories abound about why the once-straight spire went crooked.

One is about a potent wizard with an evil heart who hoodwinked a local blacksmith into ensnaring the Devil by nailing his feet.

Once freed, the Devil flew across Chesterfield, slamming into the spire and twisting its shape.

Another devilish tale is that the church’s incense made the Devil sneeze causing him to fly over the tower, smashing his tail against the spire in the process, to distort its shape.

Why is Crooked Spire is wonky?

The originally straight spire consisted of a wooden frame covered with wooden shingles.

As years went by and wood became worn, it was replaced by the hardier alternative of lead. 

Although it may have been deemed sustainable - the relatively cheap material was found in abundance in the nearby Peak District - it was also quite heavy.

When finished, 32 tonnes of lead tiling covered the wooden framework which wasn’t built to sustain that much weight.

The inconsistent nature of lead depending on weather conditions meant expansion in heat and contraction in cool temperatures. 

The spire’s southern facing side is hit by sunshine all day whilst the north facing side gets little to zero sunlight.

This means south-facing lead tiles expand more than the north-facing tiles, and it is this expansion and contraction that is thought to have caused the spire to twist.