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It has had miners instead of monks, but here and there are things to remind the visitor of its vanished glory, and it remembers the great family of the Gresleys, said to have been the only Derbyshire family to have kept their lands from Domesday Book to the 20th century.
Nothing is left of the castle that was built here, other than the grassy mound on which it stood, still known today as Castle Knob, a mile to the west, near Castle Gresley. Later they lived at Drakelow Hall, farther north-west, near the Trent, but their fine house has been replaced by a huge power-station.
Though today it keeps company with a pit-head instead of its small 12th century priory of Augustinian canons, the church still has links with the past. The chancel and the priory buildings were pulled down in Tudor days, and the church remained more or less a ruin until about 1820. A new chancel was built on the site of the old in 1872.
Remains of the priory have been found, fragments of painted glass, medieval tiles, and stone coffins. All that is left of the old church now is the sturdy 15th century tower and two 14th century arches leading to the north aisle. On a great alabaster monument is the figure of Sir Thomas Gresley kneeling under an arch. He has a curly wig, as was usual in the 17th century,and a gown of rich brocade. Round the arch are arms showing the marriages of his ancestors from the time of William the Conqueror. But the pride of the church are 10 massive and handsomely carved stalls with misericords brought from Drakelow Hall before it was demolished; it is thought they may have belonged to the church in its great days.
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