Taddington Church, dedicated to St Michael and All Saints, was built in the 14th century on a smaller and less ambitious scale to Tideswell’s magnificent Cathedral of the Peak. It has a fine 14th century south doorway and although the wonderful broach tower was built using old gritstone, the main body of the church is of limestone.
Taddington Church consists of a chancel, clerestoried nave of four bays, aisles, south porch and the western tower which contains 4 bells, three of which were rehung and a fourth added in 1876. It is said that two of the bells bear dedicatory inscriptions to St Michael whilst the third bell is dated 1669.
Taddington Church was much restored in 1891 when a new porch was added, the total restoration cost being £2,000. The parish of Taddington includes nearby Brushfield and Blackwell and the parish register dates from 1640.
Inside Taddington Church there are some interesting monuments and brasses and an unusual stone lecturn projecting from the north wall of the chancel, a rare feature found in only a handful of Derbyshire churches including Crich and Spondon. However, one of the most interesting and oldest features is probably an early alter stone which is now set into the floor and depicts a Latin cross.
Set in a marble stone and once part of a tomb are the brass portraits dated 1505 of Richard and Agnes Blackwall (later known as Blackwell) and their family who held their lands at nearby Blackwell from the 12th century but lost them through loyalty to Charles I. After the death of her husband, Agnes is said to have taken a vow of perpertual widowhood.
By the magnificent lych-gate which was a gift to Taddington Church from Samuel Bramwell in 1910, is a 6ft high stump of stone which was the base of an ancient cross shaft, possibly Celtic. In the large churchyard of Taddington Church which extends to about 4 acres, it is reputed that there are unmarked graves to apprentice children from notorious Litton Mill who died as a result of child slavery. There were said to be so many deaths at one time that children were buried at several churchyards in the surrounding area in an attempt to conceal the true numbers.