St John the Baptist's Church, Dronfield

St John the Baptist’s Church stands in the Derbyshire town of Dronfield. A Grade I listed parish church, it rises above the surrounding streets with its stone walls and slate roofs. The building began in the late 13th century and has been shaped by centuries of change. Mid-16th-century alterations left their mark on the structure. In 1819 extensive repairs were carried out, followed by a major restoration in 1855. The church is worth visiting for its layered history and the people connected to it. The 1855 work by Flockton and Son of Sheffield cost £1,300 and renewed floors, seating and roofs. In 1887 William Parker of Whittington Hall paid for new stained glass designed by F. R. Shields and praised by Edward Burne-Jones. Memorials inside remember Thomas Godfred, who died in 1399, John Fanshawe from 1580 and Sir Richard Barley. Inside, the church contains an 1830 organ by Alexander Buckingham that has been restored and extended. The nave roof was opened and the ceiling removed during the 19th-century restoration. Two British Army soldiers from the First World War are buried in the churchyard. The church shares its parish with four other churches across the area.