Tideswell, (referred to locally as ‘Tidza’) lies in the heart of the Peak District National Park. The village was recorded in the Domesday Book and in 1251 it was granted a charter for a market which operated continuously until recent times. It was a centre for the woollen trade and lead mining but these industries have since declined with tourism now playing an important role in the local economy.
The church of St John the Baptist, known locally as the ‘Cathedral of the Peak’ is one of the finest examples of a medieval church in Derbyshire having had few alterations since its construction between 1320 and the early 1400s. There is evidence of an earlier Norman church on the site but the current building boasts both Gothic and Perpendicular features reflecting the change in architectural styles and the loss of population due to the Black Death which occurred during the 13thc. The church was restored in 1875, but this was a proper restoration rather than a rebuilding, as at Bakewell.
Items of interest inside: a fine wooded screen between the Nave and Chancel; beautifully carved wooden pews and several impressive tombs and brasses.
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This cache is a simple multi which takes you from a location outside the church where you need to note the phone number at the bottom of a blue noticeboard, to a wonderful viewpoint over the church and village from a public footpath, best accessed via our Reference Point, which takes you up a short but steep climb up a hill. Hence the high terrain. The footpath is not signed and looks like a driveway.
The phone number at the above coordinates is 01298 ABCDEF
The cache can be found at N53 16. (A – C –E) (B – C - E)(A + C) W1 46.D F D
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place 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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