-
 
- The pretty
market town of Wirksworth existed well before the Norman Conquest.
At one time it was the headquarters of the lead - mining industry
in the South Peak, but now relies on limestone quarrying for
its staple industry.
- It is here
that the lead - miners have their Barmoot Court to deal with
mining disputes, and is the oldest industrial court in the country.
It still meets twice a year in the Moot Hall in Chapel Lane.
- The Heritage
Centre in Crown Yard is an ideal place to begin to explore Wirksworth
and wander round the Town Hall. Narrow alleys climb the hillside
away from the market place to groups of cottages clustered around
tiny yards.
- The Parish
church of St. Mary the Virgin is the finest building in Wirksworth.
It stands behind buildings lining the main street on one side,
and the Elizabethan "Gell Almhouses" and a Geogian
former grammar school on the other. Inside the church, you can
see the Wirksworth Stone, a large Saxon stone coffin lid with
intricate carvings, and a carving of a Saxon lead miner, found
near Bonsall. The parishioners of Wirksworth perform a ceremony
of "clypping" every September, when they all encircle
the church by holding hands.
Right
- the premises of
Thomas
Jones and Frank Pratt
- "Craftsmen
in wood"
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