The Decorated style is represented by the pillars and arches of the nave, the north and south aisles, and the tower with its steeple. Bassano, in his Church Notes, records this fact:—

“Ano 1340. The tower steeple belonging to the Priors Church of this town was finished and built up, as appears by a Scrole of Lead, having on it these words—‘Turris adaptatur qua trajectu decoratur. M c ter xxbis. Testu Palini Johis.”

The Perpendicular style is represented by the clerestory windows, of two lights each, the roof of the church, and the south porch.

In the year 1779, the crypt was “discovered” in a curious way. Dr. Prior, headmaster of Repton School, died on June 16th of that year; a grave was being prepared in the chancel, when the grave-digger suddenly disappeared from sight; he had dug through the vaulted roof, and so fell into the crypt below! In the south-west division of the groined ceiling, a rough lot of rubble, used to mend the hole, indicates the spot.

During the year 1792 “a restoration” of the church took place; the church was re-pewed in the horse-box style! All the beautifully carved oak work on pews and elsewhere, described by Stebbing Shaw in the Topographer (May, 1790), and many monuments, were cleared out or destroyed. The crypt seems to have been the receptacle for “all and various” kinds of this “rubbish.” In the year 1802, Dr. Sleath, headmaster of Repton, “discovered” the steps and door on the north side of the chancel, and having cleared out the one and opened the other, found the crypt filled up to the capitals of the pillars with “rubbish,” which he removed, and restored the crypt as it is now.

There are three ancient register books of births, baptisms, marriages, and burials, and one register book of the churchwardens’ and constables’ accounts of the parish of Repton. They extend from 1580 to 1670.

The register book of the churchwardens’ and constables’ accounts extends from 1582 to 1635, and includes Repton, and the chapelries of Foremark, Ingleby, and Bretby. It is a narrow folio volume of coarse paper (16 in. by 6 in., by 2 in. thick), and is bound with a parchment which formed part of a Latin Breviary or Office Book, with music and words. The initial letters are illuminated; the colours inside are still bright and distinct.

In vol. i. of the Journal of the Derbyshire Archæological Society (1879) there is an article by Rev. Dr. Cox on these accounts, and he writes: “It is the earliest record of parish accounts, with the exception of All Saints’, Derby, in the county.” Space alone prevents me from making extracts from them and the other registers; they are full of local interest.

About the year 1059, a Priory of Canons Regular, of the order of St. Augustine, dedicated to St. Giles, was founded at Calke by Algar, Earl of Mercia. Here they dwelt till c. 1153, according to the old Chronicle written by one Thomas de Musca, Canon of Dale Abbey, when Serio de Grendon, lord of Bradley, near Ashbourne, “called together the Canons of Kale, and gave them the place of Deepdale; here they built for themselves a church, a costly labour, and other offices.” These buildings became known as Dale Abbey, and here they lived for a time “apart from the social intercourse of men, but they began too remissly to hold themselves in the service of God; they began to frequent the forest more than the church, more to hunting than to prayer or meditation, so the King ordered them to return to the place whence they came,” viz., Calke. During the reign of Henry II. (1154–1189), Matilda, widow of Randulf, fourth Earl of Chester, who died A.D. 1153—with the consent of her son Hugh—granted to God, St. Mary, the Holy Trinity, and to the Canons of Calke, the working of a quarry at Repton, together with the advowson of the church of St. Wystan, at Repton, on condition that as soon as a suitable opportunity should occur, the Canons should remove to Repton, which was to be their chief house; Calke Priory was to become subject to it.

“A suitable opportunity” occurred during the episcopate of Walter Durdent, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1149–1159).