BAKEWELL CHURCH, the burial-place of some of the members of the Vernon and Manners families, to whom Haddon Hall successively belonged, is nearly two miles distant from Haddon, and may be seen on looking up the valley of the Wye. Bakewell itself is a pleasant and remarkably clean little market-town, built on the banks of the Wye; there are several good public buildings in the town itself, and many substantial residences in its neighbourhood. It is, however, to the church only that we now desire to call attention in a short description. [Illustration: _Bakewell Church._] It is a cruciform building, of about 150 feet in length from west to east, and about 105 feet in width across from wall to wall of the north and south transepts, with a central tower and spire. It contains some extremely fine Norman and Early-English features, and is lofty and remarkably well proportioned. In the centre rises a noble tower, the lower part of which is square, and the upper octagonal, with the angles boldly chamfered, and this is surmounted by a lofty spire. There can be no doubt, from remains which have been found, that a church had existed on this spot from very early pre-Norman times. In Domesday survey, it is stated there were two priests for the church of Bakewell. It was afterwards made a collegiate church. It was granted by William the Conqueror to William Peverel, his natural son, but was, with the other immense possessions of that family, forfeited by attainder by one of his descendants in 1154; it remained in the possession of the crown till it was given by Richard I., on his accession to the throne in 1189, to his brother John, Earl of Morteigne, afterwards King John. To him is traditionally ascribed the rebuilding of the nave (with the exception of the west end, which he is said to have left standing), and its endowment; but it is more probable that it was built and endowed by a Peverel, who gave part of the Bakewell tithes to Lenton Priory. In 1192, Earl John gave the church, with all its prebends and other appurtenances, to the present cathedral of Lichfield. In 1365, a chantry was founded in the church by Sir Godfrey Foljambe and Avena his wife, whose beautiful little monument will be seen on one of the piers of the nave. The nave, which was erected probably about 1110, is separated from the side-aisles by semicircular arches, rising from piers of solid masonry instead of pillars. At the west end is a fine Norman doorway ornamented with beak-head mouldings and other characteristic features.