Northwingfield

St lawrence church

North Wingfield has a population of 7,590 and was originally a farming community with some small scale coal and iron-stone mining. It grew to its present size to accommodate the development of large collieries in the areahe Great Central Railway opened a new line in 1892-93 to serve these collieries and provide means of transporting coal to London. The miners were generally brought in from outside the village and were housed in colliery company terraced rows. These houses have now disappeared and the mines worked out, with the population travelling to more distant places of work. North Wingfield has many old and interesting buildings, including its village church where the roof still has much of its original l4thcentury tracery beamwork. A Norman arch leading to the chapel, a font of either Saxon or Norman times, a l2th century window and an ancient wooden chest can be seen here. The 80 ft high tower, some 500 years old, boasts an even older great bell. A small stone coffin lies in the porch, probably of a Norman child, and in the recesses of the chancel lie knights in chain armour believed to be from the l3th century and of the local Deincourt family. very old sundial can be seen in the churchyard. At the road junction a short distance from St Lawrence's can be found the remains of what is believed to be a medieval village cross. It was used in 1702 as a guide post and has three sides of its base engraved with fingers pointing the way. Close to the church is the l5th century Blue Bell inn, It was originally the chantry house and is now a public house and restaurant. It is rumoured that a tunnel leads from the inn to the church and the inn is also believed to be haunted. The old rectory house was greatly extended in 1690 and contrary to most Elizabethan buildings has the middle arm of the letter `E' missing. A plaque on the front wall of the old rectory bears the inscription `Nunno deficiente plus ultra' which roughly translated means that the cash ran out before the extension could be built.