St. Helen's Church - Treeton

A general view of St. Helen's church in Treeton

When working out in the field, people often stop to ask me what I am doing and - when I explain that I am a geologist - many of them continue the conversation by talking about archaeology. 

A geological map of the area around Treeton

A lot of the work that I have undertaken as a building stone consultant entails tasks that might be delegated to an archaeologist, rather than a geologist – such as recording the fabric of an ancient stone building - and following a recent resurgence in my interest in old churches, I decided to investigate the construction history of St. Helen’s church in Treeton.

A general view of the tower at St. Helen's church

Set upon an escarpment of Treeton Rock that overlooks the River Rother, its tower can be seen from miles away and legend has it that the stone used to extend the tower was robbed from Roche Abbey - after its dissolution by Henry VIII...