Clowne

Contents & Site Map

Description of Clowne & St John the Baptist Church

The village of Clowne lies 9 miles north-east of Chesterfield and 7 miles south-west of Worksop. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the spelling Clune. The name is derived from the Celtic name Clun for a river, there being the source of a river nearby.

Nothing much remains of the old village, except for the medieval cross and the church. A great deal was demolished to make way for the late Victorian houses which were built to house the miners when large quantities of coal were discovered beneath the village. The sinking of the deep mine brought an influx of workers and their families from elsewhere, thus the need for more substantial housing and shops. Until then, inhabitants had worked the shallow coal seams, whilst others were employed at the mill, which manufactured candle-wick, sacking and sail-cloth.

The church of St. John the Baptist, standing on an ancient ridgeway, dates from Norman times with its fine south doorway and chancel arch of that period. It was partially rebuilt in the Early English and Perpendicular periods. The Norman chancel was rebuilt and enlarged in 1955 when two side chapels were added, one being a miners' chapel dedicated to those who lost their lives in the coal mines.

The registers which date from 1558 have been deposited at the County Record Office

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