St Mary

The earliest parts of St Mary's as it stands today are from the 13th century and include the lower part of the tower and the massive crossing piers. There was much further work done in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the church was thoroughly restored in the 19th century by Sir George Gilbert Scott.

St Mary's is most famous for carvings from a church or churches that stood on this site going back to Saxon times. These can be found throughout the church, mounted into the fabric of the walls.

Far and away the most renowned of these is the Wirksworth Stone. It was found buried below the chancel in 1820, covering a grave with a complete skeleton in it. The stone, parts of which are missing, shows scenes from the life of Jesus, and other biblical or apocryphal stories, each scene is distinct but constructed by the sculptor so that they work together as a composition. The stone may have been made before 700.

Nearly as famous is 'T'owd Man of Bonsall' a carving of a medieval lead worker, holding the tools of his trade.

Elsewhere in the church are dozens of other fragments of carving, sometimes in groups (a king and queen, heads of assorted creatures, odd bits of jumbled stonework), and sometimes singly (Adam with a sinuous serpent seemingly eating the apple), all adding up to a gallery of early sculpture.