
The 228ft spire of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield is both twisted 45 degrees and and leans over southwards by over nine feet. It moves a little further every year, but it is still a long way from falling over. Built around 1400, it was straight for a number of centuries before it began to twist, probably as a result of the original wooden shingles being replaced by much heavier lead and slates.
However, local tradition maintains that the spire was so shocked to learn of the marriage of a virgin in the church that it bent down to get a closer look. Should that happen again, it is said that the spire will straighten and return to its true position.
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