St Mary's Church, Wirksworth — Attraction in Derbyshire Dales

This is not only a beautiful church, it is probably one of the most interesting and fascinating churches in the country. Most of the building dates from the 13th to 15th centuries but there are parts from Anglo-Saxon times. It has wonderful stained glass windows. It is particularly notable for its Anglo-Saxon carvings such as a large coffin lid from the 7th century. There are numerous other medieval carvings, stone crosses, grave slabs, tombs and most famously "T'owd Man", the oldest representation of a miner in the world. There are leaflets and information booklets available...

This is a surprisingly large church with a host of interesting features. The information boards are quite the best I have seen in a church and the small information/question paddles ideal for taking around the church. A projected film of the T'Owd Man unique. Even has a Burne-Jones/Morris stained glass window. Well worth a visit if you are...

Travelled 300 miles and made a special detour to see the Anglo-Saxon carvings here. Turned out the church was booked out for the whole weekend for some event and you weren't allowed in. The trip was partially saved by a very kind gentleman agreeing to escort us to the main carving where I was able to take some quick photos before we...