St. Peter & St. Paul Old Brampton - I

A general view from the south-west

Following my day out to Bolsover, where I investigated its geology, historic architecture and mediaeval church, I set off to North-East Derbyshire again a couple of days later – this time to Old Brampton, a small village set on an unnamed sandstone of the Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation 5 km west of Chesterfield. 

A geological map of the area around Old Brampton

Lying on an ancient road that runs from Chesterfield westward across the moors, the church of St. Peter and St. Paul was established c.1100 and, approaching from the south-west through the C19 lychgate, the squat tower, with a slit window on the south elevation, is Norman in date. 

The east elevation

The masonry comprises laminated, iron rich Lower Coal Measures sandstone, with Millstone Grit used for the quoins and dressings, and although a similar style of masonry is used for the belfry, the stone itself appears slightly lighter in colour. A close examination of my photographs indicates that this is due to a greater degree of differential weathering and the loss of a greater part of the surface of the stone. 

The south elevation of the tower

Looking from a distance, the later addition of the belfry and the broach spire – attributed to the very early C14 – is quite obvious, as are the angle buttresses, the strange detail below the south window and the very late Perpendicular Gothic window to the west elevation. 

A detail of the belfry and broach spire

Continuing clockwise to the north aisle, a Victorian addition now provides external access to the tower and gritstone head to the west window is very different in colour to the rest of the masonry in the church and is particularly interesting to the geologist. 

The west window of the north aisle

The north aisle, with its blocked round arched doorway, was added in the C13 but, looking closely at the eaves, the height of the wall has been raised by several courses. This probably took place in the later part of the C15, along with the addition of the clerestory and castellated parapets. 

A general view of the north aisle

Continuing past the vestry to the east end, the large arched window with cusped tracery is a C19 replacement, with the uniform buff coloured medium grained gritstone being typical of those produced in Stanton and Darley Dale. 

The east window of the chancel

As with the north aisle, an examination of the masonry above the corner buttresses shows that predominantly larger, more precisely cut blocks are used above this level, which suggests that the roof of the chancel has also been raised.

A general view of the east end