The south porch may be seen to the left of this view of the church's southern elevation. The village of Brassington Brassington is an ancient village of about 550 people 3 miles to the west of Wirksworth and 7 miles to the north east of Ashbourne. Most of the houses and cottages are built of local limestone, many being clustered together in narrow lanes on a steep south-facing hillside. Some of the larger houses have large sloping or terraced gardens. There is a long history of lead mining and quarrying in the area, and the surrounding hillsides bear traces of the old mine workings in their grassy humps and hollows.
Old mineshafts abound, and can even be found in a few gardens.
Large limestone quarries around Brassington, with Hopton and Middleton to the east, Longcliffe to the north and the large Tilcon quarry at Ballidon to the west still provide work for local people. Farming in the district concentrates on cattle and sheep rearing. There are many attractive buildings in this picturesque village. The oldest of all is St James parish church, which stands high above Church Street, overlooking the village. It is mostly Norman, with some 19th century restoration.