Chesterfield
Having a day out tomorrow to Chesterfield, I love this place, mainly because I was born here and I spent the first five years of my life.
For those who don't know Chesterfield is famous for it crooked spire, so I thought I would show you a photo and the possible reasons.
Possible causes of the Twisting
A number of factors seemed to have lead to the twisting.
The use of unseasoned timber in the construction of the spire is one possible factor. The heat from the sun may have warmed the lead tiles on the roof, conducting heat to the wooden frame, drying out the wood, and causing it to warp.
Another possible factor is the lack of cross-bracing, resulting in the spire being unable to fully support the heavy lead tiles (weighting a total of 32 tons).
These two factors may have been the result of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague), that aflicted the area in 1349, during the building of the spire. This may have killed some of the skilled workers, leaving those with less experience to finish the work. Also some of the damage may have been the result of the weather, and bell-ringing.
A number of factors seemed to have lead to the twisting.
The use of unseasoned timber in the construction of the spire is one possible factor. The heat from the sun may have warmed the lead tiles on the roof, conducting heat to the wooden frame, drying out the wood, and causing it to warp.
Another possible factor is the lack of cross-bracing, resulting in the spire being unable to fully support the heavy lead tiles (weighting a total of 32 tons).
These two factors may have been the result of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague), that aflicted the area in 1349, during the building of the spire. This may have killed some of the skilled workers, leaving those with less experience to finish the work. Also some of the damage may have been the result of the weather, and bell-ringing.
Legends about the Crooked Spire
As well as the scientific explanations of the twistings, there are many legends that tell of how the spire became crooked.
One of these tells that the spire was so shocked to here that a virgin got married in the church, it twisted to have a closer look. Also, if another virgin marries in the church, the spire will untwist, as it will think it is normal. A related legend is that the spire saw a great beauty, and bowed down in awe..
Another legend is that a magician convinced a Bolsoverblacksmith to shoe the devil, but he drove a nail into the devil's foot. The devil then skimmed over the spire, and lashed out at it in pain, causing it to twist. Also, similarly, some believe that the devil sat on top of the spire, causing it to twist out of shape.
