St Mary's Church, Chaddesden

St Mary’s Church stands in Chaddesden, a suburb of Derby in the East Midlands. Built in the mid-14th century, it is one of the city’s oldest churches and holds Grade I listed status. The chancel survives from around 1347, when Henry Chaddesden, Archdeacon of Leicester, rebuilt the church. Inside, a 15th-century rood screen and a chalice-shaped font over six centuries old can be seen. The churchyard holds monuments to the Wilmot family, who once owned much of the surrounding land. The Wilmots were closely tied to the church and nearby Chaddesden Hall, now demolished. The family’s former estate became Chaddesden Park, which borders the church grounds. Robert Wilmot founded almshouses outside the church, though these no longer stand. Two war graves in the churchyard mark a Royal Navy sailor and a General Service Corps soldier from the Second World War. The church’s pipe organ was installed in 1876 by Isaac Abbott of Leeds. It was gifted in memory of the parents of Sir Henry Wilmot, 5th Baronet. A peal of three bells dates from the late 15th to the 18th century, though they are currently silent. A local group is working to restore the bells by 2025 or 2026. The church belongs to the Conservative Evangelical tradition of the Church of England.