Wirksworth Derbyshire
Wirksworth is an attractive and historically important small town in the Derbyshire Dales whose combination of the medieval church, the Georgian and earlier stone buildings of the town centre, the remarkable heritage of lead mining that shaped its history and the contemporary arts and crafts community that has developed in the regenerated town create a destination of unusual depth and character for a Derbyshire market town. The town has been recognised as one of the most successful examples of cultural-led regeneration in the East Midlands. The Church of St Mary contains one of the finest collections of early medieval carved stones in England, including the Wirksworth Stone, a carved coffin lid of approximately 800 AD depicting scenes from the life of Christ in a style of considerable sophistication and historical importance. The collection of Saxon and early Norman carved stones within the church represents a body of early medieval sculpture equivalent in quality to much better-known sites and relatively little visited. The National Stone Centre at Middleton-by-Wirksworth, a short drive from the town, provides excellent interpretation of the geology of the Derbyshire limestone and the history of quarrying and lead mining that shaped both the landscape and the economy of the area. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, a heritage steam railway connecting Wirksworth with Duffield and the national network, provides a nostalgic transport connection to the surrounding Derbyshire countryside.