Wirksworth Derbyshire

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The pretty market town of Wirksworth existed well before the Norman Conquest. At one time it was the headquarters of the lead - mining industry in the South Peak, but now relies on limestone quarrying for its staple industry. It is here that the lead - miners have their Barmoot Court to deal with mining disputes, and is the oldest industrial court in the country. It still meets twice a year in the Moot Hall in Chapel Lane.   The Heritage Centre in Crown Yard is an ideal place to begin to explore Wirksworth and wander round the Town Hall. Narrow alleys climb the hillside away from the market place to groups of cottages clustered around tiny yards.
	The Parish church of St. Mary the Virgin is the finest building in Wirksworth. It stands behind buildings lining the main street on one side, and the Elizabethan "Gell Almhouses" and a Geogian former grammar school on the other. Inside the church, you can see the Wirksworth Stone, a large Saxon stone coffin lid with intricate carvings, and a carving of a Saxon lead miner, found near Bonsall. The parishioners of Wirksworth perform a ceremony of "clypping" every September, when they all encircle the church by holding hands.
The premises of Thomas Jones and Frank Pratt - Craftsmen in wood.

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