Rochester Cathedral - The Crypt

A view to the east along St. Ithamar's chapel

At the end of my brief tour of the interior of Rochester Cathedral, I finished by going down into the crypt, with the idea of seeing the displays about the Textus Roffensis in the new exhibition space – only to discover that this was inaccessible on the day of my visit; however, I was very impressed by the lighting system, as well as the polished Purbeck limestone flooring, and so I stayed around to try and take a few good photographs in this strongly contrasting artificial light.

A general view of the crypt vestibule

Although I was aware of various stones that were used for rubble walling, ashlar, dressings etc – both ancient and restored - I didn't even think about closely examining any of them. It was only 18 months later, when I begun to undertake some research on the construction history and the building materials used in the cathedral did I discover that several other stones had been used in the abaci, capitals, shafts and bases of the various circular and octagonal plan columns – and the responds that are bonded in the walls.

A section of exposed walling

When describing my visits to the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, All Hallows by the Tower and churches in Bromley and Beckenham in previous Blog posts I had drawn on the work of Tim Tatton-Brown – and especially Bernard Worssam – to help me with the confirmation of my observations of glauconitic building stones such as Kentish ragstone and Reigate stone.

A view to the west along St. Ithamar's chapel

Alongside Caen stone and Purbeck marble, of which there are many examples in the interior of the cathedral, Bernard Worssam's The Building Stones of Rochester Cathedral Crypt also details the use of Bethersden marble, Jurassic oolitic limestone from Taynton in Oxfordshire, and Marquise oolite from Boulogne in France – none of which I had seen before – in addition to Portland stone, York stone and granite, which were used for restoration in the 19th century.

Granite shafts to the octagonal columns in St. Ithamar's chapel

Living in northern England, however, and now more accustomed to seeing Carboniferous, Permian and Jurassic building stones in the occasional restoration/conservation projects with which I am still professionally involved, my knowledge of the building stones in the ancient monuments of southern England is unlikely to be put to good practical use here.

A general view of small column shafts and a piscina

As a geologist with specialist interests in identifying and matching stone, however, I consider it to be a good addition to my own programme of continuing professional development and that this further experience is still very relevant to architects, surveyors, conservation officers and archaeologists whose professional work relates to the conservation of the built heritage.

A detail of the masonry at the top of a column