Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a historic Derbyshire market town best known for a single landmark that's visible for miles around: the twisted, leaning spire of its parish church.
The spire of St Mary and All Saints Church spirals and leans noticeably off true, a quirk usually put down to a combination of unseasoned timber in the original medieval frame and the weight of the lead sheeting later added to cover it, which caused the wooden structure to warp over time. Whatever the precise cause, the crooked spire has become the town's defining symbol and draws visitors who come simply to see it for themselves. Chesterfield's other historic anchor is its market, one of the largest open-air markets in England, held in the town centre on a site with roots going back to a market charter granted in the 13th century.
The town grew through coal mining and engineering in the industrial era — Chesterfield-born engineer George Stephenson, of railway locomotive fame, is buried at Holy Trinity Church in the town — and today serves as a market and commuter town on the fringe of the Peak District, with the M1 and a mainline rail link making it a workable base for exploring both the Peaks and North Derbyshire more widely.
Where to Stay in Chesterfield
- Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa — a 19th-century manor house set in its own grounds a couple of miles outside the town centre, with a spa.
- Casa Hotel — a modern hotel close to Chesterfield railway station, a short walk from the town centre and the crooked spire.
Getting there
Chesterfield station is on the Midland Main Line, with direct trains to Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and London St Pancras, and the town sits just off the M1, making it one of the easier North Derbyshire towns to reach by road.