Chesterfield heritage

Winding Wheel Theatre kicks off centenary year with blue plaque award

Chesterfield’s iconic Winding Wheel Theatre has kicked off its centenary year celebrations in style, by unveiling a blue plaque from Chesterfield Civic Society.

Councillor Tony Rogers and Sharon Rogers, the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield, officially unveiled the plaque at a small ceremony on Wednesday 1 March with representatives from the Civic Society and Chesterfield Borough Council in attendance.

Originally opening in 1923 as the Picture House, the Winding Wheel Theatre has been an important cultural venue for the last one hundred years. In the late 1930s it was bought by the Odeon Cinema chain but it also housed a ballroom and a restaurant.

It closed in 1981 but was bought by Chesterfield Borough Council, restored and refurbished, opening again in the late 1980s as a conference and entertainment venue and later gained Grade II listed building status.

The Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Tony Rogers, said: “It was an honour to unveil this plaque and officially mark the start of the centenary year of the Winding Wheel Theatre.”

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The Winding Wheel Theatre has a long and varied history in our town – a historic building that is a popular cultural venue. Thank you to Chesterfield Civic Society for recognising this building with the award of a blue plaque.”

Philip Riden, chairman of the Civic Society, added: “This is one of three plaques funded by a generous grant we received from the Borough Council in 2021. One of the others commemorates Chesterfield Girls High School and the third will be installed at the Stephenson Memorial Hall when the current refurbishment there is complete. We have recently received funding from East Midland Railway for two more plaques to mark the site of two of Chesterfield’s Victorian railway stations.”

More centenary celebrations will take place at the Winding Wheel Theatre later in 2023.

In September there will be an exhibition about the history of the building together with cinema screenings and other events. More details about these events will be released later this year.

Blue plaque winding wheel

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Discover hidden history at Derbyshire Archaeology Day

People are being invited to learn more about recent historical discoveries from across the county and get hands-on with history at Derbyshire Archaeology Day.

At the event on Saturday 21 January at the Winding Wheel Theatre in Chesterfield, there will be a series of guest talks on topics including Peveril Castle, excavations in Bolsover, and the ‘Anchor Church’ cave.

There will also be some free hands-on activities in the Winding Wheel Ballroom that are suitable for the whole family, as part of the event being organised by the Derbyshire Archaeology Day group.

The council’s partners at Wessex Archaeology will be bringing their virtual reality experience that will allow visitors to explore the inside of iconic historical buildings, including an Iron Age roundhouse. There will be artefact handling, with the opportunity to get up close and personal with Roman archaeological objects and people will also be able to have a go at sifting through small pebbles to retrieve environmental evidence.

Meghan King, the Finds Liaison Officer for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, will also be attending to help people identify their mystery objects or archaeological treasures.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Whether you are a history expert or just have an interest in our county, you’ll be sure to enjoy Derbyshire Archaeology Day. The activities in the Ballroom will allow the whole family to be entertained whilst learning about our history.”

Derbyshire Archaeology Day takes place from 9.45am until 4.20pm. More information about the schedule for the day and the talks taking place is available on the council’s website: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/home/events/derbyshire-archaeology-day

Tickets for are £11 and can be booked on the Winding Wheel website: www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk/shows/derbyshire-archaeology-day

The drop-in sessions run by Wessex Archaeology and Meghan King take place from 11am until 3pm and these free activities do not need to be booked.

Winding-Wheel

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Discover more about Chesterfield’s Heritage at upcoming events

Residents and visitors can learn more about local history as Chesterfield Borough Council is set to host two events as part of the national Heritage Open Days.

On Saturday 10 September there is the opportunity to explore the Chesterfield Museum collection, and then the following weekend on Sunday 18 September meet a Sir Joseph Paxton reenactor at Revolution House.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “With the closure of Chesterfield Museum, for the multi-million-pound renovation of Stephenson Memorial Hall, it is important that we offer excellent opportunities for everyone to learn more about our local history. It’s great to be taking part in the national Heritage Open Days and I hope lots of people will take on this unique opportunity to learn more about local history.”

On Saturday 10 September from 11am, people can explore one of Chesterfield Museum’s off-site stores which houses some of the larger items from the Museum’s collection that are not normally on display.

The Museum’s Collections Officer will act as a guide and explain how the museum looks after the items within its care and the challenges involved.

Booking is not required and people can simply arrive at Unit 1 Calow Brook Drive, Off Calow Lane for 11am to take part.

The following weekend on Sunday 18 September between 11am and 4pm, a Sir Joseph Paxton reenactor will be appearing at Revolution House in Old Whittington. Booking for this event is not required.

Visitors will be able to learn more about his life as a gardener, architect and engineer as well as his connection to Chatsworth. There will also be a hands-on activity for children to plant their own seeds.

To find out more about the wide range of events taking place across Chesterfield, go to our events page, or if you want to find something to do this weekend, head over to our ‘Five ideas for the Weekend’ page.

 

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