History

St Matthew's Church is a grade-1 listed building situated in a beautiful mature churchyard. For nearly seven hundred years, St Matthew's Church has been a place of Christian worship and a focal point for the local community, as it remains so today.

Although Morley village appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 there is no mention of a church. It has been suggested that the church was simply overlooked and had in fact been here since late Saxon times.

As Lords of the Manor in the mid to late 1300s, the Stathum family developed placed there by the family, which tell us! Inside this Grade 1 listed church are many treasures of the Medieval period, in particular the stained glass windows, said to be some of the finest in the country. Rescued and brought here after the Dissolution of nearby Dale Abbey in the 1500s, they are a remarkable survival of this age.

Along with brasses of the Stathum family and descendants, the Sacheverells, there is a wonderful display of Medieval tiles and poignant reminders of the burden of war. Here you will find stories of loss and joy and hope. A window on time, they are simultaneously, stories of a small Derbyshire village and the stories of a nation.

Those wishing to visit are encouraged to contact the churchwardens to arrange a visit.

A resource pack for teachers and educators is available to support school visits;

Tending the Future

In 2024-25, a project conserved four of the Church’s medieval stained-glass windows and ran a wide range of workshops and community activities. A series of films about different aspects of the Church’s history were created.

The project was possible thanks to generous funding and support from: The National Heritage Lottery Fund, The Worshipful Company of Glaziers, The Leche Trust, The Pilgrim Trust, Diocese of Derby Bishop's Fund, PCC St Matthew's Morley.

Photo credit: Geraldine Curtis

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