Church of St Michael and All Angels

St Michael and All Angels’ Church stands in the village of Hathersage, Derbyshire. A Grade I listed parish church, it was built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century by William Butterfield. The restoration removed whitewash, renewed pillars and buttresses, and added new stained-glass windows by William Wailes and Charles Kempe. Minton encaustic tiles were laid throughout, and the church was re-pewed with open seating. Further improvements in 1949 included new gutter lining and waterproofing with diorite plugs. The churchyard holds a notable grave claimed to be that of Little John. In 1780 James Shuttleworth reported finding a thigh bone measuring 72.39 centimetres, suggesting a height of 2.46 metres. The church also contains memorials to the Eyre family, including Robert Eyre who died in 1459 and Sir Arthur Eyre who died in 1560. A pipe organ by James Jepson Binns, originally from Sheffield, was installed in 1981. The tower houses six bells, the oldest dating from around 1520, and a sanctus bell from around 1499. Visitors find a 19th-century clock by John Smith, installed in 1879 with a single dial five feet wide. The clock’s escapement was a pin wheel deat beat, driven by a pendulum with a 59 kg bob. The church remains in a joint parish with St John the Baptist’s Church in Bamford and Derwent. Its interior features open seating, encaustic tiles, and stained glass from two renowned makers. The churchyard’s claim to Little John’s grave adds a layer of local legend.