This church is dedicated to King Charles I, the Royal Martyr, who was sentenced to death by Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians, and executed in 1649. However, in 1660, those responsible for the death of the King were rounded up and executed as traitors, and King Charles I was declared a saint. During the interregnum period when Oliver Cromwell ruled the country, the Countess of Devonshire built a church dedicated to the Royal Martyr as an act of defiance. In the 19th century the small classical building was found to be too small for the needs of the parish. A new church was built in the Victorian Gothic style in c 1876-8. The Church was once known as the Gretna Green of the Peak, as the priest had a special licence to marry couples without the usual church restrictions. The choir are shown rehearsing for the dedication service following the church restoration work.