Church Heritage Record 612026

Bamford developed in the late 1800s around a cotton mill.In the mid 19th century, the Reverend Henry Cottingham, vicar of Hathersage, persuaded Mr William Cameron Moore, owner of Bamford Mill, to build a church in Bamford.  Mr Moore wished to give his mill workers a local place of worship so that they did not have to travel to Hathersage.

The main building dates from 1860

The Narthex and Choir vestry was added in 1923.

The church was designed by the famous Gothic Revival architect, William Butterfield (1814-1900) who tended to design everything down to the last detail, including door hinges and light fittings. 

An outstanding feature of the church is the soaring height of the narrow tower with its pyramidal stone spire.

Work began on the church in 1857 and it was consecrated by the Bishop of Lichfield on 17 October 1860.  The choir vestry was added in 1923; the detailing of Butterfield's original design is faithfully carried through.

The clock on the tower, installed in 1919 is the 'village timepiece' and is maintained and illuminated by the Parish Council.  A new peal of bells was installed on new frames in 1998 to replace the original set of steel bells made by Firths of Sheffield.  The new bells were cast by Taylors of Loughborough.

The church is constructed of coursed and squared rock-faced local gritstone with ashlar dressings and ashlar spire.  It is in the Late decorated style with pitched blue/green Westmorland slated roofs

The north aisle was partly screened in the 1950s to form a rector's vestry.

The church consists of a nave, chancel, organ chamber (originally clergy vestry), north aisle (Lady Chapel), narthex, and choir vestry.  There is a tower at the north-west corner with a stone spire.  The walls of the chancel narrow inwards, altering the perspective and creating an illusion of height and length.

Internally, the narthex, organ vestry, choir vestry, nave, north aisle and chancel roofs consist of exposed rafters with a lath and plaster infill.  The roof structure over the sanctuary is enclosed with panels – it is not known whether the panels are a later addition.  The north wall of the nave comprises a four bay arcade of single chamfered pointed arches; of the three stone piers, two are circular and one is octagonal.  The walls are plastered and simply painted or have exposed stonework.  There is a suspended timber floor which is partly tiled with Hopton Wood limestone slabs, terracotta, cream and black tiles, and encaustic tile banding.  The porch and narthex have stone flags and some black and terracotta tiles.  The choir vestry has a concrete floor.

The organ was installed in the rector's vestry in the 1930s, replacing a smaller organ

The North Aisle was converted into a Lady Chapel

A rector's vestry was formed at the back of the North Aisle

Butterfield designed most of the internal fixtures and fittings in St John's, including reredos, floor tiling, altar table, choir stalls, pulpit, pews and font.  Consequently, the original fixtures and fittings of the building work to create a unified whole.  Butterfield's use of local Derbyshire fossil grey marble, limestone and terracotta reflect the more subdued colour schemes that were a feature of his later work.  St John's is simply furnished with colour and decoration focussed on the chancel. 

The sanctuary altar table is plain oak with plain sides and top.  The front is pierced with sexfoils and a quatrefoil.  The sanctuary reredos is surrounded by a moulded stone perimeter.  It is inset with terracotta and encaustic tiles surrounding red veined white marble with incised circles inset with black marble trefoils, quatrefoils and cinquefoils, all very typical of Butterfield.

The north aisle reredos is the east wall of the aisle and has three pointed arches with cusped tracery within.  The arches are supported by colonettes of Hopton Wood stone.  The walling behind is painted and has stencil-work decoration

The pulpit comprises a five sided stone base with stepped and chamfered mouldings.  The upper part of the pulpit is five sided and constructed of oak; it is plain in character with open sides.  The Butterfield font is made from Hopton Wood limestone and stands on a large octagonal stone.  A eagle lectern was given by the Firth family in 1903.  There is also a modern oak lectern bequested by Thomas Richard Charlesworth (1893-1990).

The choir stalls are oak and are probably not original to the church; they are plain with shaped stall ends with a pierced octofoil.  

The pine pews are stained and varnished with open backs and integral kneeler board.  They were designed by Butterfield with shaped ends, pieced by a quatrefoil.  Brass umbrella holders were added at a later date to every alternate pew end.

The paten is by Reily and Storer, 1850. The processional cross was made by Jones and Willis of Birmingham.  The cross and candlesticks in the Lady Chapel are of Sheffield.

The organ (the second to be installed in the church) is fitted into the original rector's vestry on the north side of the chancel.  A small plaque records that it was "rebuilt with additions in 1958" by T C Wilcock of Sheffield; it is thought to have been installed in the 1930s.

The tapestry kneelers were donated and worked by church members and friends in the early 1980s.  In addition to conventional designs, others have been made to commemorate local interests such as Guides, Scouts, Sheepdog Trials, British Legion, and Fellowship of the Services.

Butterfield designed the stained glass windows which were made by Frederick Preedy – all the windows are fine examples of Victorian art.  The east window is a large three light pointed window with stained glass which shows the Apostles, the three Marys, Mary Magdalene and Peter and Our Lord ascending with two guards kneeling below.  The choir window displays a geometric pattern of coloured glass with pained oak leaves to the white glass.  At the base of the window are the initials WCM and ELM in memory of William Cameron Moore and his wife.  The baptistery window is filled with stained glass depicting Zacharias, Elizabeth and St John the Baptist baptising Jesus.  The lower central panel represents the emblem of John as a lamb carrying a flag.  The rose window, on the west wall, is one of only three designed by Butterfield.  It is filled with stained glass depicting the emblems of the four evangelists and the sacred monogram INRI.

Two windows to the south wall of the nave continue the theme of geometrically patterned coloured glass with painted oak leaves to the white glass.  The windows to the north aisle and organ chamber have diamond leaded glazing with painted grisaille decoration and roundels of painted and coloured glass to each light.  The porch window has stained glass depicting the coat of arms of William Cameron Moore and is inscribed, "For the glory of God and the good of his people, this church was provided by William Cameron Moore AD MDCCCLX".