St. Lawrence Hatfield - The Exterior I

A general view of St. Lawrence's church from the south-east

When surveying potential RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Sites) in north-east Doncaster, back in 1997, I briefly stopped at St. Lawrence’s church in Hatfield to photograph the cobbles that have been used to build its porch. 22 years later, having discovered that cobbles have also been used at St. Oswald’s church in Kirk Sandall, I decided to visit Hatfield again and take a much closer look at it. 

Superficial geology to the north-east of Doncaster

Located 10 km to the north-east of Doncaster in area of flat lowland, where superficial Quaternary deposits generally cover the underlying soft sandstone of the Triassic Chester Formation, the old village of Hatfield is built in red brick and is 3.5 km from the River Don at Stainforth. 

The approach to St. Lawrence's church from the south-east

Approaching St. Lawrence’s church from the south-east gate to the churchyard, the first view is of a very large late Perpendicular Gothic cruciform structure, with a large south transept and a central tower, built out of fine dolomitic limestone ashlar from the Cadeby Formation. 

A modern road route from Roche Abbey to Hatfield

The Abbot of Roche Abbey, whose land holdings extended over a considerable part of South Yorkshire and beyond, and included nearby Dunscroft Grange, was responsible for the appointment of priests at Hatfield from 1347 to 1507 and the church guide states that the stone came from its quarries - a distance of 22 km as the crow flies, or 34 km according to the best route available now between Roche Abbey and Hatfield, excluding the M18 motorway. 

A general view from the north-east

The most accessible outcrop of the Cadeby Formation is along the Don Gorge, which falls within the old Manor of Conisbrough and has been extensively quarried for hundreds of years. For purely logistical regions, it would have been much easier to ship stone along the River Don and move it a short distance overland, as well as transport costs being considerably reduced. 

Savage family crests on the west face of the tower

Extensive re-building took place in the period 1480-1500, with several masons' marks confirming these dates and, based on crests of the Savage family, the tower has been dated to the Tudor period, with the north St. Catherine’s Chapel and the south Lady Chapel being added in in the C16 – the latter in 1530. 

Late Perpendicular Gothic tracery to the south transept and chancel

Except for the two late chapels, which have are square headed and have cusped tracery on their principal elevations, the late Perpendicular Gothic style is characterised by its four centred arched windows and tracery that is formed of upright straight sided panels, without cusps. 

Tracery to the St. Catherine's and Lady Chapels

Although the dolomitic limestone used for the late C15 masonry is generally a uniform cream colour, St. Catherine’s chapel has some distinctly yellow stone and it also appears that very pale limestone has been use for deliberate decorative effect in the parapet – in its base course, quatrefoils, square medallions and the finials. 

A detail of the parapet to St. Catherine's Chapel

Looking closely at the stonework, particularly to the south transept and adjoining Lady Chapel, much of the limestone exhibits ripples and, where there are less well cemented beds, these have been often been differentially weathered. This has often led to cavernous decay, which has been repaired variously with sand and cement or stone slips and sometimes with new blocks of stone.

Various repairs to the Lady Chapel