Excursion Report - Geology of churches in south Nottinghamshire,

May 12^th 2007

Leader: Dr Albert Horton

This was our first outing of the 2007 Summer programme and it started the new series in style. We met at Colston Bassett old church (St Mary) on a day that was initially fine but which gradually deteriorated to light rain in the latter stages. Leader Dr Albert Horton greeted us and explained the geology of the building stones used in the church’s construction to our group of eight members. Two more joined at lunchtime to raise the number to 10, but what we lacked in numbers we made up for in enthusiasm! The old church (a much later Victorian church stands in the village itself) is presently a roofless ruin, a result of having its roof removed in the late 1800s, but the structure has been stabilised by local enthusiasts with the support of English Heritage. It stands anomalously apart from the village, on a scarp of Lower Jurassic limestone. Perhaps a group of buildings was originally associated with it, but evidence for these has never been found. Needless to say, a significant part of the structure is composed of the local Blue Lias, but on closer inspection the walls contain a variety of other stone, including Marlstone Rock Bed Formation, some Triassic sandstone, and ironstone from further afield. The Permian Bulwell Stone may have arrived at the site as part of a carter’s return load. It was interesting not only to note the diversity in the quality and type of stone but also how the different stones had weathered over time. Some details of the interior remain including two piscinas used to hold holy water, and a fragment of presumed Anglo-Saxon masonery. The most intriguing aspect of the building apart from the geology was the architecture, which reflected changing fashions in building from the church’s foundation in 1293 on the site of an earlier building, through modifications made in the medieval period, to changes undertaken right through to the church’s abandonment in the 1800s.

We next drove to Holy Rood in Edwalton, founded in the 12^th century, with its fine brick built Tudor tower. The other parts of the building comprise mainly local stone, including Triassic Hollygate Sandstone and Permian marginal facies from the Cadeby Formation. With a busy schedule we didn’t linger and were soon en route for Plumtree and its church of St Mary the Virgin. Again the Hollygate Sandstone was well in evidence along with Jurassic Lincolnshire Limestone. Also present were blocks of very local porcellanous ‘White Lias’ limestone from the latest Triassic Penarth Group and quartzite erratics brought with the Anglian glaciation. The church had been repaired somewhat unsympathetically with Millstone Grit, some of it still sooty from its previous location as part of an old bridge over the Trent. A strong Norman influence could be seen in the main door and the blank arcading. On leaving Plumtree we adjourned to The Plough at Normanton-on-the-Wolds for a most pleasant interlude over lunch.

After lunch we moved on to the unpretentious little church of All Saints at Stanton-on-the-Wolds, again an amalgamation of erratics, Bunter (Triassic) quartzites, a little ‘White Lias’, and shelly and dolomitic limestones. The main stone used was a marginal sandstone, the Permian Mansfield Stone. The brachiopod Lobothyris was evident in Marlstone. The picturesque ferruginous sandstone church of St Luke at Upper Broughton was our next call, and we speculated about where the stone had originated, most seemed to be local from the Marlstone Rock Bed, but it was clear that some Northampton Sand ironstone had also been employed. At that point some rain began so we adjourned to the interior where Albert took the opportunity to explain the area’s geology with the aid of geological maps. In the porch was a marvellous fragment of Norman or possibly Saxon tympanum, with a most unusual ornament. Our last stop of the day was at St Mary & All Saints at Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, an imposing edifice who’s crowning glory is its collection of alabaster tombs, mostly of members of the Willoughby family, coldly mysterious and so very evocative of their time in the sculpted clothing on the figures. The church’s structure was a familiar one of mixed stones, including ferruginous sandstone, limestone and sandrock.

The obligatory ‘family’ photograph taken, it only remained for us to thank our most knowledgeable leader for a fine and instructive day, and then the party dispersed at around 3.30pm.

Helen Jones & Andrew Swift