There is evidence that there was a church or chapel in nearby Uppertown from the Derbyshire Charter of 1300. However, when the population moved, it became ruined & all that is left now are odd stones in buildings in Birchover, including the current church.
Thomas Eyre, the owner of Rowtor Estate at the time, built a chapel on the present site in 1717. It was initially privately endowed & was probably Roman Catholic & dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, St Michael and All Angels. However, by the mid 19th century it had fallen into disrepair & services were only held on Sundays between Easter & Michalmas, as it was deemed too damp & open during the winter months!
William Thornton was largely responsible for the building of the chancel in the 1860s & the restoration of the chapel by 1877 at a cost of £150. In 1898, the large east window, which can be seen as you descend the steps into the churchyard, was fitted with stained glass made by Alfred D Hemming of London, at a cost of over £60. Around the same time, the chancel floor was relaid in marble by the Ashford Marble Works at a cost of £25.
An organ made by Wadsworth and Brothers was fitted in 1905 & there is a single bell in the turret above the west wall. Unusually, there are only windows present on the south & east walls.
Please walk to the church having parked nearby on Main Street near to the pub, as the road down is very narrow & rough with no parking spaces.
The final coordinates for the cache are N53 09.ABC W001 39.DEF. Look for the following clues in the churchyard to work out the missing digits. Some are easier to spot than others...
A) Look at the roof of the church. How many stone crosses can be seen along the skyline?
B) Above the powder blue door into the church there is a lintel carved with a dragon. How many other stones have carvings around the doorway?
C) Find the gravestone for Joseph Marsden, who died on May 2nd, 1939. How many letters were there in Joseph’s brother's first name?
D) James Evans is buried alongside his wife, who died on June 23rd 194D?
E) Agnes Isabella died on June 3rd 1954, when aged 89 years. How many letters were in her last name?
F) What was the date in January 1970 when Hortense Dakin died, aged 76 years?
The cache is located a short walk away from the church. Of course, it is not hidden anywhere near the dry stone walls. We hope you enjoy your visit to Birchover & St. Michael’s Church.
Congratulations to Alfreton Divers for FTF!
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read thePlace your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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