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| A streambed exposure of sandstone in Birley Hay |
Continuing my investigation of the geology and historic architecture of Ridgeway, I headed down Ridgeway Moor and stopped very briefly to photograph the pebbledashed Oak House for the British Listed Buildings website, before arriving in the hamlet of Ford.
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| Various historic buildings in Ford |
As a general record of one of the hamlets that were part of the renowned scythe and sickle manufacturing industry in the area, I took a few photographs of the various buildings – built in the same mixture of sandstones that I had encountered on my walk so far - and went to have a quick look at the Ford Wheel Dam.
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| Ford Wheel Dam |
I didn’t see anything that caught my interest as a geologist but, having already considered the possibility of following the Moss on a walk from Jordanthorpe to Eckington, I made a mental note to do this in the near future – especially since I would like to have another look at the grindstones, which it has been suggested may come from Rotherham.
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| A grindstone at the Bridge Inn |
Following Ridgeway Moor to the west, I soon came to another complex of agricultural buildings at Ford Farm, where I took a few photographs of the Grade II Listed Ford Farmhouse (c1750) and some of its C18 outbuildings, which are built in a sandstone that is similar to that used for other buildings seen in Ford.
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| Ford Farmhouse and an outbuilding |
Continuing along Geer Lane, I was interested to see the distinct escarpment formed by a minor unnamed Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation (PLCMF) sandstone which, being on the southern limb of the Norton-Ridgeway Anticline dips to the south.
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| A sandstone escarpment at Geer Lane |
Arriving in Birley Hay, a small industrial hamlet that had a scythe and sickle works that used water power for the grinding, I made my way up a public footpath at the foot of the escarpment in search of the Grade II Listed Birley Hay Farmhouse, dating to the early C17, and an outbuilding of the same age. Following the path down to the crossing of a tributary to the Moss, I noted that nearly horizontally bedded flaggy sandstone was exposed in the streambed.
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| A streambed exposure of PLCMF sandstone |
Continuing along the footpath on the west side of the stream, I could only take a few general photographs of these buildings at a distance, but from these I am able to see that there is no change in the sandstone used in their construction, with it containing colour variations from yellowish to rusty brown.
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| Birley Hay Farmhouse and an outbuilding |
Retracing my steps to the escarpment overlooking Birley Hay and carrying on down the path to Geer Lane, I had a quick walk around the hamlet to take a few record photographs of the various cottages and make a mental note of the materials used.
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| Various historic buildings in Birley Hay |
I didn’t get to see the old warehouse, which is the last remnant of the scythe and sickle works, as it is on a private road but I did manage to photograph the Grade II Listed No. 8 Birley Hay, which is late C18 in date and provides another example of the local sandstone.
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| No. 8 Birley Hay |
Having briefly explored the parts of Birley Hay that were readily accessible, I set off on my journey back to Ridgeway via a public footpath that would take me to Litfield Farmhouse and Dowland Farmhouse. Walking up the dip slope of an unnamed PLCMF sandstone on the southern limb of the Norton-Ridgeway Anticline, I stopped to look back at the landscape to the south-west.
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| A panoramic view across the Povey Syncline |
The anticline has a considerable fault at its southern edge, with the Povey Syncline – along which the Moss flows – being succeeded further to the south by the Troway Anticline, which forms the high ground in the distance.
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