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| A topographic map of the Moss Valley |
Leaving Birley Hay by the public footpath that runs north from Geer Lane, to continue my exploration of the geology and architecture of Ridgeway, my knowledge of the area was further improved when - having later consulted my geological memoir - I learned that this runs up the dip slope of an unnamed Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation (PLCMF) sandstone on the southern limb of the Norton-Ridgeway Anticline.
Arriving at the old hamlet of Litfield, which is now incorporated into the larger settlement of Ridgeway, I first encountered The Grange - a converted agricultural building that is marked on the old Ordnance Survey maps as being part of Litfield Farm.
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| The Grange |
Litfield Farmhouse, which was built in the early C17 and extended in the C18, is closely associated with the Staniforth family – including those members who contributed to the local edge tool manufacturing industry as shearsmiths.
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| Views of Litfield Farmhouse |
The house is set back from the main road and, as I had discovered when supplying very many photos for the British Listed Buildings website, high boundary walls prevented me from getting close enough to photograph it properly and I had to settle for a few glimpses from various viewpoints and angles.
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| The remains of an old farm building |
Although I couldn’t get close enough to take a good look at the sandstone used at Litfield Farmhouse, The Grange is built in a light brown sandstone that contains a fair proportion of rusty brown blocks and, on the opposite of the road, the remains of an old farm building is built in iron stained flaggy sandstone.
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| A view on the public footpath from Doe Lane to Sloade Lane |
When preparing a walk, I usually have a good look at the online Geology of Britain Viewer, or my printed 1:50,000 map, to get an idea of the underlying geology, but I never cease to be amazed by the topography that I encounter where sandstones alternate with the softer siltstones and mudstones. Walking from Doe Lane to Sloade Lane, the path drops down into a notable valley - along which an intermittent stream flows - before rising up onto the Grenoside Sandstone.
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| A bridge across an intermittent stream |
I stopped briefly to look at the elegant Cromwell House, which is described in the Ridgeway Village History website as being built in the Regency period. Looking at the yellowish sandstone used for the well squared and coursed masonry, which has a batted finish, I suspect that this is Grenoside Sandstone from the nearby Lumb Wood quarry.
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| Cromwell House |
Walking down Sloade Lane, I passed a few converted agricultural buildings built in a sandstone that is yellow in colour and contains a proportion of iron rich rusty brown blocks, which makes me think that the Grenoside Sandstone was selected for the better quality buildings and an unnamed PLCMF sandstone has been used for the farm buildings.
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| Various converted farm buildings on Sloade Lane |
Finally reaching the early C17 Dowland Farmhouse, a high boundary wall again made it very difficult to get good photographs of the building and I just took a few quick snaps from the open gateway and a much better photo of a stone acorn that adorns a gate pier.
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| A stone acorn at Dowland Farmhouse |
Continuing down Sloade Lane, which here approximately follows the plunging fold axis of the Norton-Ridgeway Anticline, I was interested to see the ford that crosses Robin Brook – the first that I can remember seeing since living in South Yorkshire.
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| The ford on Sloade Lane |
Crossing over the ford on the elevated footpath, I looked down over the railing on the downstream side to see the brook dropping down to an exposure of thinly bedded sandstone/siltstone in the streambed, with overlying highly laminated mudstone exposed in the stream bank.
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| Siltstone and mudstone in Robin Brook |
Returning to the public footpath that I had passed when walking down Sloade Lane, I crossed over Robin Brook and continued over a narrow flood plain before climbing up a steep set of steps to Church Lane and, after reaching Main Road, the No. 252 bus back to Sheffield came into view before I could think about having a quick pint in Ridgeway at the end of a very good walk.
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| The steps from Robin Brook to Church Lane |
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