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| St. Chad's, May 2022 |
Doveridge, in Derbyshire, lies just south of the A50, Stoke to Derby road, about 2 miles due easts from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. The river Dove flows is the boundary between the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire at this point.
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| St. Chad's, May 2022 |
Doveridge was recorded in the Domesday Book, under the old English name "Dubbige", as belonging to Henry de Ferrers. This indicates that there was probably a church in Saxon times and the dedication to the Northumbrian, St. Cuthbert, is consistent with such origins. The oldest parts of the current church are the nave, chancel and the lower part of the tower and they date from the early 13th century. The nave and chancel are of similar proportions, both being 42 feet by 21 feet. The north arcade of three bays and the south arcade of four smaller bays have octagonal columns. They were added in the 14th century together with the upper section of the tower. Another century later the chancel and nave were raised in height by 15 feet to allow for a large east window. It is thought that the spire was added then too. The increase in height of the nave and chancel allowed inclusion of clerestory windows. The east window now has clear glass but at one time had stained glass, fragments of which are now in small window at the west end of the south aisle. The width of the chancel and nave and clear glass in the east window make the church surprisingly light inside. The timber roof is 15th century while the parish chest dates from the 17th century. The double piscina is from the 13th century and was used by the priest to wash communion vessels. The font is also from that period. Arthur Mee comments that the priest's doorway and the lancet windows in the chancel are some of the finest 13th century work in Derbyshire. The pipe organ was built by Steele and Keay and dates from 1867. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. The church was restored in 1840 and again in 1869. The pews are Victorian and the glass screen at the base of the tower is modern. The sanctuary has been changed since the WW II and has a new rail and communion table from 1974. The kneelers tell the story of St. Cuthbert and were the result of a Millennium project.
The alabaster monument on the south side of the sanctuarys, illustrated at the bottom left, shows the daughter of Thomas Milward and her husband William Davenport. He has the dress of a Royalist with rosettes on his boots and she a full-skirted gown. Below kneel three daughters dressed like their mother and with them a baby in a cradle. The Historic England site lists the following additional monuments: Arabella Cavendish died 1739, Henry Cavendish died 1698, Francis Cavendish died 1650, and the Rev. John Fitzherbert died 1785. There is also a small brass to the left of the aumbry to Francis Cavendish who died 1650. Other monuments are to the Rev. Thomas Cavendish, who died in 1859, and in the south aisle a wall monument to Thomas Milward who died 1658. There an alabaster slab which is believed to be the stone from the grave of Robert Kinveton, who was appointed vicar in 1359. The booklet in the church states that it in west wall between the font and the vestry whereas the Historic England website describes it as "Incised alabaster slab, to a priest, C14 (north aisle)."
Pevsner notes that the church used to be in the grounds of Doveridge Hall but when the hall was pulled down it stood in happy green solitude close to the river Dove. Doveridge hall, designed in the neoclassical style and completed in 1769, was the seat of Sir Henry Cavendish, 1st Baronet; it was demolished in 1938. The A50 from Derby to Stoke-on-Trent used to run through the village. In the 1960s it was planned to widen this road, and Cavendish Lodge, a splendid 16 room, 17th century hunting lodge, belonging to the Lewis family, was knocked down. Shortly afterwards the road widening plan was dropped; however a by-pass was built in 1998 to the north of the village. In Pevsner's time there was already a housing creeping towards it from the east. At the east end of the churchyard is the ancient yew, described in the notice below. The broken shaft of the 13th century cross in the churchyard has been lengthened and surmounted by panels of the crucifiction as a memorial to those from the village lost in the Great War.
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| Famous Ancient Yew Tree | Description of the Tree | |
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| Ancient cross converted to War Memorial | Window showing Anglo-Saxon saints, Chad and Cuthbert |
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| Nave & South Arcade | 17th Century Parish Chest | |
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| Chancel with clear East Window | Organ Pipes | |
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| 13th Century Font at West End | 15th Century Wooden Ceiling | |
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| William Davenport monument | Memorial to the Revd. Thomas Cavendish | |
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| 13th Century Piscina | Suspension Bridge Over the Dove |
Sources
The Buildings of England, Derbyshire, by Nikolaus Pevsner,
revised by Elizabeth Williamson, Yale University Press, 2002, ISBN
0-300-09591-0
The King's England, Derbyshire, by Arthur Mee, first published
in 1937, 6th impression 1951.
St. Cuthbert's Church, Doveridge. A Guide for Visitors. Booklet available in the church.
Wikipedia article on Doveridge
Wikipedia article on Doveridge St. Cuthberts
Historic England site on St. Cuthbert's
1.0 Strict 