Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield

Holy Trinity Church stands in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, as a Grade II listed parish church of the Church of England. The building was begun in 1837 when the Duke of Devonshire laid the foundation stone. Thomas Johnson designed the church, and later alterations were made by Samuel Rollinson in 1889. A choir vestry was added in 1938, completing the present structure. The church shares its parish with Christ Church in the same town. The church is chiefly known for the grave of George Stephenson beneath a plain memorial slab in the sanctuary floor. Stephenson, the railway engineer, died in 1848 and was buried here. His son Robert later placed a stained glass window at the east end in his memory. The church also contains a pipe organ built by Brindley and Foster in 1868. Visitors find a quiet sanctuary with Stephenson’s memorial slab set into the floor. The east window, installed by Robert Stephenson, fills the chancel with coloured light. The organ by Brindley and Foster remains in place, its pipes rising above the nave. The church’s plain style and careful proportions give a sense of calm.