‘England’s smallest church’ near Derby that's tucked away in a quiet corner
The site near Derby is regarded as England’s smallest church with a fascinating history rooted in a hermit’s dream from the 1100s.
The quirky county of Derbyshire is filled with rich and interesting heritage.
A hidden gem near Derby is Hermits Cave at Dale Abbey.
Just 8 miles or 20 minutes away from Derby city centre lies one of the region’s quirkiest spots.
There is a fascinating history behind Hermits Cave which is also considered to be ‘England’s smallest church’.
Hermits Cave is based in the small Derbyshire village known today as Dale Abbey.
It had a different name centuries ago, where locals called it Depedale, being renamed after a monastery in the 13th century.
Being the site of a monastery meant it was a spiritual site, however we need to travel back further to uncover a truly fascinating tale.
Depedale’s first religious occupant is thought to be a hermit seeking solitude in the early 1100s.
The hermit switched from a busy, full-on life as a baker, to becoming a hermit.
What caused this massive life change?
Legend has it that the ex-baker-turned-hermit had a dream that the Virgin Mary urged him to travel to Depedale to lead a life of solitude filled with prayer.
The inquisitive baker promptly hung up his baking gloves and trekked to Depedale, despite not really knowing where the exact location was.
When he came across unoccupied marshland, whose only defining feature was sandstone banks, he set to work.
He had to make his dream come true - quite literally - and so he started excavating a residence in the sandstone formations.
What he eventually created is truly jaw-dropping.
A cave took shape and he managed to fashion one of the simplest places of worship.
The hermit carved holes for windows, doors and a cross to begin with, adding a tiny chapel at the site measuring just 26ft by 25ft.
This undoubtedly makes it one of England’s smallest churches.
The hermit worked hard to make the site as self-sustaining as possible, even creating a well outside that is visible in the adjoining churchyard.
Today the church’s roof forms a covering for a nearby farmhouse, which may have been used in the past as an abbey infirmary.
It is astounding to think how actions of those who lived centuries ago, impact the lives of people today.
Thanks to the hermit getting handy with his tools and acting on his dreams in 1130AD, Depedale is widely regarded as a site of religious worship.
The site’s cultural significance was augmented by Augustinian canons establishing a monastery on the site in the 13th century.
Other religious occupants over the years include Premonstratensian canons.
Although the abbey was largely destroyed in the 16th century when Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries came to pass, the church with stunning stone arch remains, hidden deep in Derbyshire woods.