A Walk to Roche Abbey and Back

A view of the transepts at Roche Abbey

The last week in September proved to be exceptionally busy, with days out to the Longshaw Estate/Padley Gorge and the Loxley Valley, as well as an exploration of Fulwood and Ranmoor and a search for the tomb of Henry Clifton Sorby in Sheffield; however, when writing a brief report on these trips, in chronological order, I completely forgot about my walk from Laughton-en-le-Morthen to Roche Abbey and back with the Treeton Trudgers. 

One of the Treeton Trudgers from St. Helen's church

Living in Treeton, I had known about this walking group for many years but, being composed of retired people from this old coal mining village, where Londoners still seem to be associated with the terrible behaviour by the Metropolitan Police during the miners’ strike in 1984, I didn’t think that I would have much in common with them but, through my association with St.Helen’s church – where I organised the recent Heritage Open Days event – I had got to know some of its members and decided to give it a try. 

A view of Slade Hooton from Laughton-en-le-Morthen

I had been to Laughton-en-le-Morthen a couple of times during 2016, when exploring the mediaeval churches in and around Rotherham, and I had visited Roche Abbey several times. Back in 1994, as a member of the South Yorkshire RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Sites) Group, I had also led a walk for the general public here, to demonstrate the use of the Magnesian Limestone as a building stone. 

The geology around Laughton-en-le-Morthen and Roche Abbey

Having viewed this area on a geological map numerous times, I was particularly curious to know what the topography between these places was like, with the outlier of Magnesian Limestone upon which Laughton is set being separated from the main escarpment by Upper Coal Measures strata that mainly comprise mudstone and siltstone, with some sandstone. 

A view of the rear of Slade Hooton Hall

I had briefly driven through the area very many years before I became involved with the conservation of its geology – and clearly remembered the magnificent Slade Hooton Hall – but I could recall little else about this hamlet. 

Stepping stones below the overflow to Laughton Pond

Being part of a group and following the leader, I only had the time to stop to take the occasional photograph along the route to Roche Abbey, which only skirted Slade Hooton before following Hooton Dike down to Laughton Pond – built by Capability Brown - before it joined Maltby Dike, a larger stream that occupies the limestone gorge in which the ruined abbey is set. 

The course of Maltby Dike through Roche Abbey

Having delegated the survey of the old quarries in King's Wood to another less experienced member of the South Yorkshire RIGS Group, I would have liked to have further explored the area on my own but I had to be content with 10 minutes to take some general photographs of the abbey and the limestone crags, when we stopped at Roche Abbey for lunch. 

General views of the dolomitic limestone crags at Roche Abbey

The crags to the north of the abbey are formed by dolomitic limestone from the Wetherby Member of the Permian Cadeby Formation (formerly known as the Lower Magnesian Limestone), where massive beds alternate with thinner, rubbly beds, which are generally differentially weathered to leave overhangs in places.

Differential weathering of the dolomitic limestone crags at Roche Abbey

On this occasion, I didn’t have time to find and photograph examples of the fossiliferous, oolitic/pisolitic limestone that can be found here – as also seen in Conisbrough and Hooton Pagnell – or various other points of interest that make the area around Roche Abbey and Maltby Crags a very good location for a geological field trip. 

A section of the dolomitic limestone at Roche Abbey

The ruins of Roche Abbey, founded by the Cistercian Order of monks in 1147, has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations a few courses of stone high but, compared to Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds, there is not much left to see.

A general view of Roche Abbey from the east

The only substantial remains left on the site are the transepts and the old gatehouse, which can be viewed from the path that runs past the abbey, and even though I only had a few minutes – before we headed off back to Laughton-en-le Morthen, I managed to photograph the principal features.

A view of All Saints church on the way back to Laughton-en-le-Morthen