St John the Baptist's Church, Buxton

The date on the pediment is 'MDCCCXI' (1811), when St John the Baptist Church replaced the old parochial chapel of 1625, now St Anne, but then dedicated to St John the Evangelist. Until 1898 Buxton was a chapelry of Bakewell (which included King Sterndale until 1851). In 1905, Fernilee and part of Fairfield, previously in the parish of Hope were added, but since the 1970s it has been united with Burbage and King Sterndale.

Kelly's Directory of 1912 notes that both St Anne, and St John's churchyards are closed to burials, “except in the case of those who already have vaults there”.

Kelly's Directory of 1932 records that the pulpit, of marble and alabaster, was erected by subscription in 1867 as a memorial to the Right Rev. John George Trevor SPENCER, D.D. “sometime Bishop of Madras”, and formerly incumbent of the parish. He died in 1867. There is also a stained glass window in memory of the men of the parish who died in WWI - their names are recorded in panels on each side of the window. It also records that the church will seat about 1,000 people.

The register dates from 1719, so obviously it was kept by the church of St Anne, prior to the building of St John the Baptist.

(Information provided by Alf Beard/Rosemary Lockie)