Historic Architecture in South Anston

Carved capitals at the Turner Memorial Methodist Chapel

Starting with an unexpected discovery of a fresh exposure of the Edlington Formation at Brancliffe Grange, followed by a further investigation of the Cadeby Formation at Wood Mill Quarry, Lindrick Dale and Anston Stones Wood – as well as the Mexborough Rock at the latter – my knowledge of the geology of South Yorkshire had improved significantly during my walk from Shireoaks.

The railway at the edge of Anston Stones Wood

Entering South Anston by the path from Anston Stones Wood that crosses the railway line, I continued along Lidsters Lane and soon came to St. James’ church – just one of the mediaeval churches in Rotherham that I had surveyed in some detail back in 2016.

St. James' church in South Anston

With the church being generally locked, I didn’t investigate further and instead carried on down Sheffield Road towards the Leeds Arms. Apart from St. James’ church, there is no mention of any buildings in South Anston by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner in my copy of West Yorkshire: The West Riding and, apart from the Manor House and Laurel Bank, there are no other listed buildings here.

A view down Sheffield Road

That said, the dolomitic limestone of the Cadeby Formation is a deep cream colour here and the simple stone built vernacular architecture, with red pantile roofs, certainly adds character to the South Anston Conservation Area.

The Leeds Arms

Arriving at the Leeds Arms, another attractive C19 building that is not listed, I bought myself a pint of Abbot Ale and after having a good taste, I took advantage of the bright afternoon sunshine to take a few photographs of the Turner Memorial Methodist Church opposite.

A pint of Abbot Ale

 

On several varied occasions that I had visited or passed through South Anston before, I had noticed this church, but had never got beyond the iron gate and railings to take a close look at what appears, at first glance, to be an uninspiring example of church architecture.

 

The Turner Memorial Methodist Church

It was built in 1935 in memory of James Turner (1875-1924) to a design by the architect B.D. Thompson, known for his extensions to Worksop College, the renovation of the now demolished Essoldo cinema and for substantial inter-war houses in Worksop.

The south door

James Turner was a very prominent member of the Anston Methodists and also the owner of the Anston quarry, from which the stone for the Houses of Parliament was supplied, and also the quarry at Kiveton Park, where the stone was cut and then loaded onto barges at the Chesterfield Canal during the C19.

The pediment to the south door

According to the book Anston, by Pam Stratford, “It was decided that the Church should be built of Anston stone and be of Norman style, inasmuch as the beautiful Norman portion of Southwell Cathedral had played so great a part in the selection of Anston Quarries as the source of supply of the stone for the Houses of Parliament”.

Details of the south door

Southwell Minster is actually built out of the now unavailable White Mansfield stone, a sandy variety of the Cadeby Formation that once had a very good reputation as a building stone; however, the Special Commissioners appointed to investigate potential stones for the Houses of Parliament failed to recognise this – one of the contributing factors to the subsequent problems with the rapid decay of the stonework.

A detail of carved capitals

Nevertheless, the Norman style detailing around the south door, which includes chevrons, cable moulding, finely carved capitals – with rams, birds and fish – corbel heads and geometrical designs to the pediment, provides an excellent example of stone carving.

The old (L) and new (R) Methodist chapels

I find it surprising that this carving, along with similar details to the windows is not considered to be of sufficient architectural merit to warrant listing. Similarly, the original Methodist chapel, built in 1871 and now used as the church hall, is to my mind a lot more interesting that many others of its kind that are listed.

Laurel Bank and the old Methodist chapel