St. Anne, Baslow, Derbyshire

Description

The church of St. Anne, charmingly situated on the eastern bank of the river Derwent, is a building of stone, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles with arcades of four arches, south porch, and a low tower at the northwest angle with octagonal broach spire and containing a clock and 6 bells, the 3rd and 5th mediaeval, and the others dated respectively 1839, 1745, 1620, 1754: there are five stained windows, four being memorials: the oldest existing portion is the tower and spire, erected at the close of the 13th century: the nave may be attributed to the 14th century, and its west window is a good specimen of the Geometric period: the heavy battlements of the porch, nave and aisles are Early Perpendicular, and the nave has a flat Perpendicular roof: the rood loft, sedilia, some stained glass, and a memorial to Robert Eyre, existing about 1730, have disappeared: in the north wall of the aisle is an iron plate in an oaken frame, with an inscription to Thomas Marple, 1742: and there are some small mural brasses to the names of Oddy and Grundy (1753-1790). The chancel has a mural monument to the Rev. John Barker M.A. for 30 years incumbent of Baslow (1824), and his eldest son, the Rev. Anthony Auriol Barker M.A. who succeeded his father, and held the living for the same length of time; another to the Rev. J. Stockdale M.A. 48 years vicar, who died Oct. 24, 1907, and to Mrs. Stockdale, who died at Baslow in April, 1892, and one to the Right Rev. Frederick Barker D.D. some time vicar of Baslow, and Lord Bishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of Australia (1854-84), whose remains were interred in the churchyard: he was born at Baslow, March 17th, 1808, died at San Remo, April 6th, 1884: built into the west wall of the porch is a coffin slab of the 13th century bearing a floriated cross: in the vestry is preserved the veritable whip of the last church "dog-whipper:" there are 350 sittings: the church was restored and enlarged in 1853, chiefly at the expense of the Dukes of Rutland and Devonshire: a new chancel and vestry were built in 1911, at a cost of about £1,000, to commemorate the coronation of H.M. King George V.; at the same time a chancel screen and clergy stalls were added by Mrs. F. Stanton in memory of her husband: the churchyard, enlarged in 1876 by the inclosure of about a quarter of an acre, is very picturesque, owing to a fine row of stately elms on the side adjoining the river, with old yews and trees here and there, and contains some ancient stone coffins and a few curious slabs of stone: south of the churchyard remain the basement steps of an old cross, now supporting a modern pedestal and shaft, with a sundial.

Church Records

The register, now in a dilapidated condition, dates from 1659, and contains numerous irrelevant interpolations.