Stained Glass Windows in the Peak District
The Peak District has a host of world class stained glass window work on show.
From medieval to contemporary and everything in between.
This website is a guide to the artists and locations where you can see these works.
Most venues are free to enter but a donation is always welcome.
Locations
Thornbridge Hall
All Saints Church - Youlgreave
St Helens Church - Darley Dale
Haddon Hall
Rowtor Chapel - Birchover
St Giles Church - Matlock
All Saints Church - Matlock
Saint Mary's Church - Wirksworth
Cavendish Arcade - Buxton
St Lawrence’s Church - Eyam
Thornbridge Hall
Artists
Burne Jones, William Morris, William Waters, Mystery?
Address
Thornbridge Hall
Baslow Road
Ashford in the Water
Derbyshire
Search “Thornbridge Estate” on Google Maps
Website
https://www.thornbridgehall.co.uk/
Window Details
Burne Jones Window Attributed to William Morris & Co and Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones by A. Charles Sewter Manufactured by William Morris & Co Commissioned by Frederick Craven Dated 1876 (top 2 tiers) with a larger replacement set of Minstrels (middle tier) supplied in 1877 and 1885 (bottom tier) A window of 12 panels arranged in 3 tiers of 4 Top Tier 4 heads (Good Women) in roundels set among quarries: Griselda – wife of Walter, an Italian nobleman, whose fidelity is tested to the extreme in Chaucer’s “The Clerks Prologue & Tale”. In total 6 were sold, lastly in 1878 Dorigen – Chaucer’s heroine from “The Franklin Tale”. In total 5 were made, lastly in 1877. One in Birmingham Art Gallery. Constance – the Christian princess betrothed to a Syrian Sultan in Chaucer’s “The Man of Law’s Tale”. In total 7 were sold, lastly in 1877. One in Birmingham Art Gallery Cressida – wife of Troilus forced into infidelity in Chaucer’s poem “Troilus & Cressida”, a work much larger than his Canterbury Tales. In total 6 were sold, lastly in 1877. All designed by Burne-Jones and from the Morris catalogue, from a series of 5 (the other being Penelope) Original designs for a house called The Hill, Witley, Surrey, for Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899) the renowned illustrator. Also made for Sidmouth Manor, but now dismantled and in Birmingham Art Gallery (Sewter) Middle Tier 4 Minstrels set among quarries: With Rebec (mandolin), robe girded up (Angel 37). Made three times. Lastly in 1882. One in Montreal Museum With Pipe (straight) onn left, robe girded up. Made twice With Cymbals (Angel 40). Made 5 times. Lastly in 1901 With Harp, in split tunic and looking back (Angel 29). Made twice, Sidmouth Manor and Thornbridge All designed by William Morris and from their catalogue, from a full series of 12 Original designs for Sidmouth Manor, Devon in 1876, the same time as Thornbridge, now dismantled and (maybe) part of the V & A collection, with some lost (Sewter) Original designs would have been for churches and were angels – for private houses the wings were removed Bottom Tier 4 panels with pointed tops set among quarries: Luna – “Stella mutabilis Ivnac” A female figure in deep blue with a large pink crab. Used 4 times. Lastly 1913 for Folkstone Earth – “Terra omnipabens” A female figure in white and a child with a wolf. Used 4 times. Lastly 1903 for Blackburn Grammar School Morning Star – “Stella matutina” A female figure in white against a yellow sky with green cliffs and sea below. Used 7 times. 1 in the former Adelaide Stock Exchange Evening Star – “Stella vespertine A female figure in white against a deep blue sky background with a landscape below. Used 8 times. 1 in the former Adelaide Stock Exchange Cartoons by E B-J with the originals held by British museums Painted by Bowman (Luna Earth & Morning Star) and Dearle (Evening Star) At Thornbridge the original location of the bottom tier was described as being in the Billiards Room. We have a photo showing 3 of them beside the South Entrance (beside/in the Billiards Room) Original designs from 1879 for a house called Woodlands in Bradford belonging to Baron Angus Holden that were part of a set of 9 panels, the others being Mars, Sol, Venus, Jupiter & Saturn Of those 9: 2 are lost, 5 belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber (previously Jimmy Page), 1 is in a museum in America and 1 was sold at Sotheby’s to a private buyer. There are also 3 are in Adelaide, Australia, in the former Stock Exchange (Morning Star, Evening Star & Sol) now the Science Exchange of the Royal Institution of Australia Tulip Quarries Window Attributed to William Morris & Co by A. Charles Sewter Commissioned by Frederick Craven Dated 1876 A window of 4 rectangular panels Painted by Stokes Original location described as being in the Billiards Room Tulip Quarries Linen Room Attributed to William Morris & Co by A. Charles Sewter Commissioned by Frederick Craven Dated 1876 (assumed) Painted by Stokes Minstrels Window Attributed to F. Vincent Hart by William Waters Perhaps manufactured by Cottier & Co Commissioned by unknown Date Unknown Bird Window & associated windows & lights Origin unknown Commissioned by unknown Date unknown “A Merry Heart” Window Origin unknown Marples Coat of Arms Window Origin unknown Commissioned by George Jobson Marples Date unknown “A Deo Omnia” Window Origin unknown Commissioned by unknown Date unknown
All Saints Church, Bakewell
Artists
Henry Holiday, Charles Eamer Kempe, Hardman and Co.
Address
All Saints Parish Church,
South Church Street,
Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1FD
Website
Window Details
Microsoft Word - JOURNAL 2018 JOINED UP.docx - 2018_Journal.pdf
Haddon Hall
Artists
Medieval Windows
Address
Website
Window Details
Ebenezer Rhodes, visiting in 1818, noted that the Chapel "is enriched with painted windows" The stained glass in one of the panes of the large gothic east window depicts The Crucifixion and Mary, St. John, etc. There is an inscription running across the whole window that dates both the glass and the chancel: Samuel Rayner, writing in 1836, commented that the inscription was still legible, although part of it had been misplaced by a glazier.This glass was re-leaded in 1858 and arranged, as far as possible, after the original. No new glass was introduced and several old quarries* were taken from other windows to complete the work. *Quarries are diamond shaped glass panes, as used in lattice windows. Much more recently (2019-2020) further restoration work, by highly skilled craftsmen using traditional methods, has been undertaken to repair the chancel window. Three other chapel windows had been restored some years before. The west window and some other lights had also been filled with 14th century glass of exceptional high quality. However, in 1828 the glass was carefully cut out by person or persons unknown. Despite a reward of 100 guineas nothing more was heard of either the glass or the thieves. It has long been suggested that it was shipped to the Continent and sold on.
St Helens Church, Darley Dale
Artists
Burne Jones, William Wailes
Address
St Michael's Church, Birchover, Derbyshire
Website
https://www.darleydale-southdarley-winster-churches.org.uk/history/st-helens
Window Details
Edward Burne-Jones’s east window showing Christ and the four Evangelists. The pre-Raphaelite artistic style is very obvious. The four angels in the upper lights were the work of William Morris himself.
All Saints Parish Church,
Youlgreave
Artists
Burne Jones
Address
Website
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/13188/
https://greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/youlgreave.html
Window Details
Edward Burne-Jones’s east window showing Christ and the four Evangelists. The pre-Raphaelite artistic style is very obvious. The four angels in the upper lights were the work of William Morris himself.
Birchover Parish Church, St. Michael's, also known as Rowtor Chapel, located in the High Peak area of Derbyshire, is a small stone church built in the early 18th century. In 1977, Brian Clarke, then living in the adjacent vicarage, designed, fabricated and installed three stained glass windows, presented as a gift to the church. In 'Weissnichtwo: Brian Clarke and the Global Sublime', Carol Jacobi writes in 2011: ‘The form and subject of Clarke’s motifs explore the visual qualities of the emblem, an image which is a sign of itself, which strikes the mind immediately and all at once. In 1977, Clarke replaced religious images in the stained glass medallions of the windows of Birchover Church, Derbyshire with crosses multiplied to form ladders and grids. The cross distils the emblem to a very simple and potent form, the intersection of horizontal and vertical centres the eye. Its self-evident, geometric logic relates to the language of the built environment in which Clarke’s paintings or glass work are viewed. It also relates to the language of art, the crosses that fix points during observational drawing.' The east window was fitted with stained glass in 1898 and made by Alfred D. Hemming of London, and the chancel floor was renovated by the Ashford Marble Works.
Rowtor Chapel,
Birchover
Artists
Brian Clarke
Address
St Michael's Church, Birchover, Derbyshire
Website
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/13186/
Window Details
St. Giles Church,
Matlock
Artists
Lawrence Lee
Address
Church of St Giles, 116 Church St, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3BZ
Website
Window Details
Lawrence Lee (1909 – 2011) was one of the most distinguished stained glass artists of the 20th century. It is not surprising therefore that a number of contributors chose to include one of his windows in their selections. But there is much more to say and to celebrate about this wonderful artist. A Theme has therefore been dedicated to the work of Lawrence Lee. The windows highlighted within the Theme have been chosen in conjunction with his son, Stephen Lee, to highlight some of his father’s best work. There you will also find two papers written by one of his former assistants, Philippa Martin, covering his life and his most famous achievement, the masterminding of the ten nave windows of Coventry Cathedral.
St. Johns Church,
Matlock
Artists
Burne Jone, Morris and Co.
Address
Website
http://allsaintsmatlock.org.uk/
Window Details
the East Window in memory of the Revd John Higgs who gave the site of the church. The window was given in 1905 by his cousin and heir, Thomas Dakin of Derby. The window, based on a design attributed to Burne-Jones, was made by William Morris and Co of Merton Abbey, Surrey. The central light depicts Christ with the cross as a tree of life, the Virgin Mary and St John as a priest holding a book containing the opening words of his Gospel. On either side are the four Evangelists with Saints Peter and Paul (robed as Old Testament prophets) below.
St. Marys Church,
Wirksworth
Artists
Christopher Webb,
T. W. Camm, Morris & Co.
Address
Website
https://www.visitstainedglass.uk/location/church-of-st-mary-wirksworth-derbyshire
Window Details
Highlight Two ‘Benedicite’ windows in the south aisle Artist, maker and date Christopher Webb, 1959 Reason for highlighting An outstanding example of bright, optimistic post-war glass which celebrates everyday life, the seasons, and children’s activities in delightful little scenes. Webb made a number of remarkable post-war ‘Benedicite’ windows, including the church of St George of England, Toddington, Bedfordshire and St Mary’s Church, Welwyn, Hertfordshire. Other comments The church has a fine collection of stained glass by other artists. Of particular note are a richly-coloured Acts of Mercy window designed by T. W. Camm and made by R. W. Winfield & Co. of Birmingham (1883) in the south transept, while in the north transept north is a window by Morris & Co. (1909). The angels were cartooned by William Morris while the rest is by Burne-Jones. Artist/maker notes Christopher Rahere Webb (1886-1966) was born into a family of artists. After school he enrolled at the Slade School of Art, before a year in France where he determined his future would be in glass painting. On his return he took articles with Sir Ninian Comper, whose approach chimed with Webb’s outlook. After war service Webb set up a studio in Guildford, before moving to St Albans after his marriage in 1926.
Church of St. Lawrence,
Eyam
Artists
Alfred Fisher and Chaple Studio
Address
Website
Window Details
This Derbyshire village is famous for its heroic isolation in the face of the great plague of 1665, when the scourge was believed to have been carried in a parcel of cloth sent from London to the village tailor. The local Rector decided that the plague should not spread from there and the whole village was quarantined, with the resultant death of many of the inhabitants. This richly coloured narrative window by Alfred Fisher illustrates the major events in this historic saga and, with the village and Church, has become a major tourist focal point, the window being a useful tool to tell the story to many thousands of visitors each year.
Cavendish Arcade,
Buxton
Artists
Brian Clarke
Address
Buxton,
Website
https://brianclarke.co.uk/art/architectural-projects/cavendish-arcade
Window Details
‘The sky is always blue in Buxton’ stated Brian Clarke on his restoration project of the Buxton Thermal Baths in the Peak District. His design, one of the largest stained glass windows in Great Britain, encloses the original Victorian spa within a 3,100-square-foot 'skin of art'. Forming an integral part of the restored Grade II listed building, which occupies a key position in the town’s Georgian streetscape, the landmark brings back to life the dilapidated nineteenth-century Thermal Baths, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, thanks to a major conservation scheme which restored them as a shopping centre, the Cavendish Arcade. The Arcade’s centrepiece is Clarke’s barrel-vaulted ceiling of mouth-blown glass, forming a covered atrium within the complex. The first drawings and studies in watercolour and collage were made in 1984, and the Arcade opened in 1987 with the artwork's installation. The restoration, guided by Derek Latham Architects and magnified by Clarke's window, received the 1987 Europa Nostra award. Clarke describes the space as being ‘bathed in an immense blue light’. The forms of the leaded, mouthblown glass at Buxton grew out of his experiments with tearing, rather than cutting, geometric shapes from paper, resulting in organic, ‘amorphic’ figures. An early visit to the site at Buxton pushed this further – the artist recalls having seen fallen leaves on the roof of a local park’s pavilion, and observing the contrast between their autumnal colours and the sky.
