Derby Cathedral
| Derby Cathedral | |
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| Cathedral Church of All Saints | |
East view of the cathedral
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 Derby Cathedral
Location in Derby
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| Coordinates: 52°55′29″N 1°28′39″W / 52.924817°N 1.477375°W | |
| Location | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.derbycathedral.org |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic, Neoclassical |
| Years built | c.1530–1725 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Tower height | 212 feet (65 m) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Derby (since 1927) |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Dean | Susan Jones (Acting) |
| Precentor | Chris Moorsom, Canon Precentor |
| Canon(s) | Simon Taylor, Canon Chancellor Elizabeth Thomson, Canon Missioner |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | Hugh Morris |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name | Cathedral Church of All Saints |
| Designated | 20 June 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1228277 |
The Cathedral of All Saints (known as Derby Cathedral), is a cathedral church in the city of Derby, Derbyshire, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Derby.
The church was founded in the mid-10th century as a royal collegiate church. It became a cathedral in 1927. The main body of the church as it stands today is a Neoclassical rebuilding by James Gibbs, completed in 1725. The tower dates from the 16th century, and a retrochoir was added in the 20th century.
The original church was probably founded by King Edmund I in about 943 as a royal collegiate church; however, no traces of its structure survive. According to the Domesday assessors, it belonged to the King, and was served by a college of seven priests.
The current cathedral dates from the 14th century, although it appears to be based on an earlier medieval building, which drawings show was about the same size as the present church. It may be that it became structurally unstable and was pulled down. The 212-foot (65 m) tower dates from 1510 to 1532 and was built in the popular Perpendicular Gothic style of the time. Twelve large carved grotesque animal figures top the tower, three per face, whilst the carved heads of two green men adorn either side of the main West Door. The sandstone used in the tower's construction is Ashover Grit, sourced from nearby Duffield Bank quarry.
Under the Protestant persecutions of Queen Mary, Joan Waste was tried for heresy at the cathedral in 1556. The execution took place on the Burton Road in Derby.
The fabric of the church appears to have severely deteriorated from the middle of the 17th century, and was in a ruinous state by its end. In February 1723, desirous of a new building, the vicar Dr. Michael Hutchinson unilaterally decided to demolish the church and employed a gang of workmen to accomplish the task overnight. Accepting the fait accompli handed to them, the Corporation of Derby then headed the subscription list for a new church to be built. A plaque within the South Aisle marks Dr Hutchinson's own significant financial contribution to this fund, although raising the funds may well have affected his health. Encountering numerous disputes, Hutchinson eventually resigned in 1728, dying some eighteen months later with numerous outstanding debts.
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Wikipedia