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Date: |
Sunday 18 February 2007 |
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Location: |
Nottinghamshire - various villages |
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Leader: |
Dr Albert Horton |
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Author: |
Andrew Argile |
The trip started at about 10.10, and for the most of the day was overcast, damp, and freezing cold. So much for the weather forecast.
Colston Bassett, Saint Mary’s Church
This church, on a very exposed hilltop position, is pre Norman in origin, although the surviving architecture is typically Norman with later additions. The immediate village it served vanished during the Black Death, and a new Church established elsewhere around 1892. The church was then stripped (legally vandalised?) allowing deterioration and the stone vultures to move in Photograph 1. Nevertheless, most of the outer walls and the Tower (looking decidedly unsafe from the inside) remain, although the end of the Nave opposite the Tower is heavily reconstructed in decayed brick, and an inferior Mansfield stone has been used to create a fake Early English (1300) window frame which is not weathering well.
Most of the stonework seems to be of Jurassic origin (Limestones, Sandstones/Ironstones). The basic material used in the construction is a Blue Lias (pale blue grey muddy limestone) Barnstock Member Rubblestone (not suited to precise cutting and carving), thought to have been dug locally. More recent repairs have used a Somerset Blue Lias. The Freestone (carvable) used for the window arches is a Nottingham Sandstone, while the Norman columns and Tower are of Oolitic Limestone Freestone. A cut block of Northamptonshire (possibly Corby) Ironstone was also found. This was attributed to being part of a job lot put on a returning mule/boat train, however it could have come from the Castle builders yard of some local Robber Baron trying to buy His way into Heaven, or be a contribution from some local (now dissolved) monastic site.
Fossils found in the Liassic walls include Oysters, Belemnites, Rhynconelid Brachyopods, fine Echinoid spine (hairy echinoids!!!) Photograph 2, Ammonite debris, calcified Serpulid Worm Burrows, and Crinoid ossicles. A Brachiopod nest, last hatched in the Jurassic, was also seen.
A (goulish) trek around the graveyard revealed that the headstones were made from two different slates - quality Charnwood or taxed Swithland Welsh slate, which has a perfect cleavage, and a “cheap” local dolamitic Bulwell Slate; the silt content is too high for it to cleave well. This slate requires expensive polishing before the inscription can be carved, so the back face is usually left crudely dressed.
Plumtree, Church of Saint Mary The Virgin
This is claimed to be the oldest parish church in Notts, and served as a Mother Church for the area. The current church is of Norman origin, but earlier Saxon tower foundations and chancel arch stonework survive. The nave has 13th Century arcades, and the chancel has 15th Century Perpendicular architecture. The North Aisle was rebuilt in 1873 with the aid of stone from the old Nottingham Trent Bridge. The interior roof woodwork is highly painted, and overall the impression is of a “wealthy” church.
The walls seemed to be a mixture of rubblestone - White Sandstone, Mercian Mudstone, the local Blue Lias Limestone, and some Porcelenous Limestone (White Lias). Particular note was made of a large archway, composed of several different arches Photograph 3. These showed notable differential weathering due to the varied composition of each arch - Hollogate Sandstone, Millstone Grit pink Arcose Sandstone, Mansfield white stone.
The gravestones were of cheap Bullwel Stone, Swithland Slate, or Magnesium Limestone which was extremely weathered ( I live on a Mag. Lime area with thin bedding, coarse texture, and lots of clay, and wouldn't recommend it for anything )
Stanton-on-the Wolds.
This was not a typical church - just a long nave with a recent side room added on to store valuables (vestry?), and a small pointy thing on the roof (Spire???). Although a Norman origin is suspected, since its “origin” in the 14th Century, this poverty stricken church may never had so many Peasant users as now. The basic fabric is large quartzite pebbles of glacial origin, with Blue Lias and Shelly limestone. There was a Brachiopod nest and Ammonite inclusions. Bulwell Sandstone freestone was used for the buttresses. Triassic sandstone for the West Turret and Millstone Grit for the window “frames”. The side room was built in 1972, from quartzite pebbles obtained by sending out a legion of Sproglets to clear the adjacent farm land (there was a large, nearby, depression suspected of being the true source). The graveyard yielded some slabs of interest, made from alabaster and microcrystaline gypsum.
Upper Broughton ‘St Luke’
On entry, there was a large war memorial made from Carboniferous limestone with crinoids and stromatholites. At the top of the hill was the large, imposing Norman church, with @1200 and 13th Century extensions. The interior was rather plain, while the ironstone exterior was showing considerable erosion (spherical shelling off, spheroidal ablation, of the outer surface). The estimated survival time, without repair, was only 400 years. The ironstone was of local origin, but the 1733 and Victorian 1854 repairs and extensions used other materials (“a job lot of stone”). The geology of the church is thus quite complex, and those interested should refer to Dr Hortons “tour guide” notes.
Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, ‘St Mary & All Saints’
This (looked like) the largest church visited, and dates from 1200 in terms of the circular pier and octagonal capitol design. Externally, it was in such a high state of repair that from a distance it appeared quite modern. The basic construction is of Blue Liassic limestone, with ironstone corners and buttresses. The spire is sandstone with some white lias. Window frames, requiring the use of freestone, used Triassic and Millstone grit sandstone. Most of the construction is early 12th and 13th century (the Willoughby Chantry), with some later windows, one datable to 1891. The 1970’s conveniences block was built from a Somerset Blue Lias. In a side chamber, there were several (originally painted) Sarcophagi housing the local Land-owning Military and Lawyer Willoughby family, dating from 1300 to 1445. The earliest pair were plain and looked eroded (probably just a more primitive style of carving), while the two later ones (one a double Sarcophagus) were in finely carved alabaster Photograph 5.
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Photograph 1 The ruin of Colston Bassett, Saint Mary’s Church with Albert conducting the briefing (Photograph Don Cameron) |
Photograph 2 Echinoid spines and shell fragments seen on the window surrounds, Albert informed us that they were finely decorated but no one had a microscope to prove this! (Photograph Don Cameron) |
Photograph 3 Plumtree, Church of Saint Mary The Virgin. The multiple arches showing notable differential weathering due to the varied composition of each arch - Hollogate Sandstone, Millstone Grit pink Arcose Sandstone, Mansfield white stone. (Photograph Cliff Bartlett)
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Photograph 4 Upper Broughton ‘St Luke’ The map session. (Photograph Cliff Bartlett)
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Photograph 5 Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, ‘St Mary & All Saints’. The double alabaster Sarcophagus (Photograph Don Cameron) |
Photograph 6 Thank you Albert presented by Jane. (Photograph Don Cameron) |
