Wirksworth

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Description of Wirksworth

The market town of Wirksworth is situated 13 miles north-west of Derby and about 9 miles north-east of Ashbourne. The town lies in the Ecclesbourne valley and is almost surrounded by hills.

Wirksworth is well-known for its lead mining history and there are lead mines in the area which appear, from an inscription on a 'pig of lead' found in 1777, to have been worked at the time of the Emporer Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D. For many centuries the main occupation of the area was lead mining and farming, than came the textile mills and later the limestone quarrying.

The Moot Hall on the front of which are depicted the lead miners' scales, pick and trough, was built in 1814 on Chapel Lane to replace the original one which stood in the Market Place. Here the courts were held where lead was measured in a special dish (which still exists), disputes settled and taxes collected. Although very little lead is mined in the area today, the tradition is still held.

Wirksworth is an extensive parish including, in 1847, the surrounding hamlets of Alderwasley, Cromford, Idridgehay and Middleton. Alderwasley still remains a Chapel of Ease for Wirksworth, but the other three later became separate parishes.

The cemetery was open in 1870 and is situated at the north end of the town. The church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin dates from the 13th century. Although several restorations have taken place some of the early stonework can still be seen. Many gravestones in the churchyard have been laid flat and are now covered with turf.

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