Derby cathedral was a parish church until 1927 when it was elevated to cathedral status. The criteria by which this elevation is achieved is by the installation of a bishop’s chair, it does not require any enlargement or other physical changes, although the option might be chosen. So, like at All Saints, Gainsborough, at some point in the 18th century it was decided at the parish church of All Saints, Derby to replace the pre-existing nave and chancel with a rectangular nave and apsidal chancel in the neo-Classical fashion of the time. Apparently in the case of Derby this was largly on the initiative of the then incumbent. Have only once been in Derby cathedral, and that over 20 years ago, at which point I didn’t know really what to expect – that being the case I was astonished at the light and airy space, so open, so colourful. Here, unlike at Gainsborough, the architect James Gibbs believed ‘It is more beautiful for having no galleries which, as well as pews, clog-up and spoil the interior of the church’. Like All Saints, Gainsborough, All Saints, Derby has plain columns with rectangular capitals and is an ‘audible’ church, but unlike Gainsborough it has chancel screen, albeit of finely fashioned wrought iron.
All Saints, Derby was re-built in the 1720s. Like at Gainsborough it may well have been that the Late medieval west tower was retained as it was still in good condition (with being relatively new) plus the fact that the west tower was the responsibility of the parishioners so retaining it reduced the overall cost. I do not know what evidence may have survived as to the replaced nave and chancel either at Gainsborough or Derby.
How spell-bound the parishioners must have been when first entering their re-built church, almost certainly the first direct contact they would have had with neo-Classical architecture on a relatively large scale.
(Old Hall, Gainsborough – next blog).