History

St Mary's has been the Parish Church of Chaddesden since at least 1347AD when we have the earliest recorded reference of the church.

The chancel of the present building dates from that period, with the nave, aisles and tower being later additions.

In the Victorian era the church building was refurbished, with alterations to the height and pitch of the roof, and in the Edwardian era, there was further work with additional wood panelling and a 'reredos' to the Chancel.

St Mary's had a strong link with Chaddesden Hall and the Wilmot family who lived there until its demise in the 1930's. The base of the site where the hall stood can still be seen in Chaddesden Park, adjacent to the church yard.

The church for many centuries was at the centre of the life of the village of Chaddesden. With the need for increased housing after the second world war, Chaddesden grew rapidly with the addition of three large estates in the parish. In the mid 1950's the neighbouring parish of St Philips was created, and in the late 1980's the neighbouring ecumenical parish of Oakwood. Both of these made significant changes to the parish boundary of St Mary's, which still extends from the junction of Morley Road with Morley Gardens to the North, to the River Derwent (almost as far as Pride Park Football Stadium) to the South. The Western Boundary is Marked by Chaddesden Park Road, Max Road and Wood Road; and to the East by Raynesway and Acorn Way.

Of course the Church is actually the people, and today the church family continue to serve the community in which they live and work with the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son our Saviour. Because of our history and setting, St Mary's has something of the feel of a village church. Whilst being conveniently placed on the edge of a thriving modern city, we are pleased to have good relations with many agencies within our community, and hope to continue this.

Find out more about the Church on the other pages in the About Us drop-down menu.