Cathedral of the Peak - Peak District - Fine Art Print

Cathedral of the Peak (St John the Baptist Church, Tideswell)

This art work celebrates the unique magnificence of this Medieval Church dubbed the Cathedral of the Peak District. Building work on Tideswell Church started in 1330 by King Edward III and, after the Black Death, was completed in 1380. The design incorporates work from throughout the church, colourfully reinterpreting the spirit of Tideswell past and present. A ring of people holding hands, known as a clypping locally, is a way of showing thanks for the Church and asking for a blessing. A reminder of the strong community in Tideswell.

• The church tower is 33 metres high
• Three of the eight church bells date from 1659
• The font is as old as the church. For many years it was used for mixing paint
• The pews were installed in 1824-1827
• In the room above the South porch (the parvise) there is a decorated stone said to be the last remaining example from the monastic building which once stood in Monks Dale
• A West Gallery was constructed during the period 1824-1827 and was used for singers and musicians. It was removed in 1904

Famous names associated with the church and remembered there include:
• Sir Sampson Meredith (1388-1462), in the centre of the Chancel, who fought against Joan of Arc
• Nicholas Garlick martyred in 1588. He was hung, drawn and quartered in 1588 as a punishment for carrying out priestly duties
• George Sheldon, who has a memorial on the outside of the South wall of the chancel, died in a snowstorm between Tideswell and Peak Forest in 1805.
• Bishop Pursglove (1504-1579) who founded the local Grammar School in 1559 and refused to take the Oath of Supremacy acknowledging the Monarch as head of the church.