The Church of St. Mary Magdalene

A general view of the south elevation

The oldest building in the village of Whiston is the church of St. Mary Magdalene, which dates back to c.1180, and although my attempts to gain access to the exterior were unsuccessful, I continued my exploration of the village by having a look at its exterior.

A general view of the north elevation

Although the restoration of 1881-83 by the architect John Oldrid Scott has drastically altered the original church, with the whole north elevation, the chancel, porch and the upper parts of the tower being added at the time, there are substantial parts of the mediaeval structure remaining.

A general view of the tower

Starting at the tower, although the remaining Norman masonry is obscured by a thick growth of ivy, which largely covers the south elevation, the irregularly coursed and squared rubble walling to the west and north is 13th century and contrasts strongly with the Victorian masonry to the castellated parapet and the buttresses.

A detail of the parapets to the tower

The porch, with fine grotesques and a niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary, has been built onto the north aisle, which has 12th century foundations but is otherwise 13th and 15th century in date, with the style of the windows and parapets reflecting the later period of building.

Details of the Victorian porch

The south chapel, also of 15th century date and with very similar architectural details, is constructed partly in Rotherham Red sandstone and buff coloured sandstone - which comprises the entire parapet and large sections of walling - and the condition of the stonework to the walling indicates that large sections have been refaced.

The south chapel

Looking closely at the walls, there are various examples of conservative repairs using stone slips – a method of repair which is no longer fashionable, but which was considered a good alternative to a whole stone being replaced in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Examples of conservative repair with stone slips

Geology & Architecture in Whiston

Whiston

Having spent a very busy weekend exploring the mediaeval churches in Handsworth and Aston - and Sheffield Town Hall - during the Heritage Open Days festival, I finished my investigation of the mediaeval churches set on the Rotherham Red sandstone by visiting the church of St. Mary Magdalene in the ancient village of Whiston. 

A few views of Whiston Brook

Most of the old part of the village sits in a fault bound trough, into which Whiston Brook flows, having previously cut a small steep sided valley through an escarpment of Rotherham Red sandstone, but St. Mary's church is set on the highest point of the village.

"Rotherham Red" sandstone around Treeton and Whiston

With the church overlooking Whiston Brook and its old quarries, it is extremely likely that the builders of the Norman church took their building stone from here, although the escarpment that forms Canklow Woods and Boston Park - a short distance to the north - was also widely exploited for building stone.

General views of an an old quarry in Whiston

A quick examination of the old quarry adjoining the churchyard of St. Mary's reveals that the exposures of Rotherham Red sandstone here are strongly cross-bedded and flaggy – as also seen in a roadside exposure on Chaff Lane – and this natural structure is emphasised in the upper sections of the quarry, where the bedrock at the surface is being weathered into subsoil.

Outcrops of "Rotherham Red" sandstone in Chaff Lane

Although much of the old quarry face is obscured by a scree of rock waste and soil and is heavily vegetated in places, there are various exposures of massive bedded sandstone that would have been selectively quarried for the best building stone. Like so many other disused quarries, it is a haven for teenagers and is littered with bottles, cans and associated debris and, while it is a potential field trip site, care needs to be taken when visiting it.

The Manorial Barn

Dating back to the time of Domesday Book, there are a handful of listed buildings scattered throughout the old part of the village, including the 17th century Whiston Hall and the 13th century thatched Manorial Barn, as well as numerous vernacular and agricultural buildings - where Rotherham Red sandstone is used as the principal building stone.

Whiston Methodist Church

Although surprisingly not protected with listed status, Whiston Methodist Church and Lychgate Hall also have some very interesting features. The external walls of the former are entirely constructed of uncoursed angular blocks of sandstone and the latter – which was built as the Church Institute in 1913 - contains a Gothic style window with elaborate tracery.

Lychgate Hall

Sheffield Town Hall - The Interior

A fireplace with various imported marbles

Although the reception area in the Main Hall of Sheffield Town Hall is generally open to the public during working hours, access to the staircase and beyond is restricted; however, on the Heritage Open Days event, the various council chambers are accessible and these provide many fine examples of ornate woodwork, plastered ceilings and various uses of ceramic tiles.

A corridor on the first floor of Sheffield Town Hall

Continuing along the corridors that run from the top of the staircase in the Main Hall, the same variety of decorative stones line their walls and are used for various columns and associated details, with the floors being covered with mosaic tiles.

A detail of a hand basin

Everywhere you go, even in the toilets, there are examples of the finest materials and craftsmanship – with the details still being maintained in their original state. I particularly liked the Royal Doulton hand basins, set in yet another polished stone that I don't recognise, with their original taps, chains and plugs.

A fireplace with ceramic tiles

Although the various council chambers and meeting rooms are mainly notable for their woodwork, there are also some very fine fireplaces, where there are further examples of imported decorative stone and colourful ceramic tiles. 

A detail of a mosaic floor

Sheffield Town Hall regularly participates in the Heritage Open Days event and, with a bit more research to identify the various marbles and other stones used throughout the accessible parts of its interior, a tour of the building could easily form part of an urban geology trail.

Cork Red Marble used in a column

Together with the adjoining Peace Gardens, where various other stones have been used around the fountains, a full range of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks can be used to demonstrate a wide variety of geological processes.

The fountains in the Peace Gardens

Sheffield Town Hall - The Main Hall

A general view of the staircase and wall panelling

I remember when walking into the Main Hall of Sheffield Town Hall for the first time, I was astounded by the array of fine decorative stones, and I can't think of another historic building that I have visited in England where they have been used so lavishly; however, although it is the wide variety of decorative stones that initially most caught my eye, the details of the archway to the entrance doorway are quite spectacular.

 The ornate arch to the entrance and the balustrade and arcade above

Depicting the local legend of the Dragon of Wharncliffe, and including the coats of arms of the City of Sheffield and the Earl of Wharncliffe, I have been puzzled by the stone which has been used here, along with that seen in the upper arcades. I have only seen it at a distance but it appears so uniform in colour and texture that I have often thought that it must have been painted.

The coats of arms of the City of Sheffield and the Earl of Wharncliffe

Without the opportunity to closely examine the stone and to undertake some very simple non-destructive tests that are second nature to a geologist – rubbing with the fingers and closely examining with a hand lens – I can't make further comment at this time.

A general view of the wall panels and arcades

That said, the colours and textures of the various polished stones used in the staircase, balustrades, wall panels, door surrounds and various other details that are repeated along various corridors that lead off it, are just there to be appreciated on a Heritage Open Day.

A detail of the wall panels and stair treads

From my own experience of surveying various quarries in England and Ireland, as well as acquiring an extensive collection of stones that formed the basis of the Triton Stone Library, I could identify a few of these - although I am by no means an expert on decorative stones.

The staircase with the statue of the Duke of Devonshire

Hopton Wood limestone, Ashburton marble and Cork Red marble, along with a couple of others that I didn't recognise, form the panelling to the walls, with Sicilian marble, Connemara marble being used for the staircase, together with alabaster for the balusters. White Carrara marble are used for the statue of the Duke of Devonshire and for the bust of Queen Victoria, with a green serpentinite used for the pedestal of the latter.

The bust of Queen Victoria

Sheffield Town Hall - The Main Entrance

A detail of the ironwork to the main entrance of Sheffield Town Hall

Having taken a few photographs of the sculptural details on the exterior of Sheffield Town Hall, before taking advantage of the opening of its interior to the general public during the Heritage Open Days event, I had a quick look at some of the very interesting architectural details that can be found inside the main entrance.

Work while it is day for the night cometh

Although I had been into the reception area of the town hall a couple of times to briefly look at the main staircase, I had never really taken much notice of these before, but there are some further examples of the work of J.W. Pomeroy – a series of six frieze sculptures depicting the virtues.

A general view of the main entrance

The aspect of the main entrance is such that it is generally quite dark inside and, with the stonework being quite dirty, it is not easy to identify the various stones that have been used here and this ideally needs further investigation and a close examination of the stone, using a hand lens, hydrochloric acid and a scratch test.

Strength and temperance shall enforce the law

I had always assumed that the stone here was Stoke Hall gritstone, as used for the fabric, based on its general colour but there also appears to be a grey limestone and a pink 'marble' used for pilasters and columns, as well as others used in the floor.

Various stones have been used in the main entrance

Having subsequently managed to acquire a brief guide to Sheffield Town Hall, I have since discovered that Coxbench stone, from near Belper, and Ancaster limestone have also been used in the interior, but no specific locations have been identified.

The entrance to the Main Hall

Sheffield Town Hall - The Exterior

A view of the south elevation from the Peace Gardens

Having already thoroughly explored St. Mary's church in Handsworth and All Saints church in Aston-cum-Aughton during the 2016 Heritage Open Days event, the last historic building on my shortlist was Sheffield Town Hall, where the general public were invited to see parts of the interior that are not usually accessible to them.

A general view of the west elevation

Taking advantage of a sunny Sunday morning, I first had a quick wander around its exterior to have at look at some of the architectural details that adorn this fine example of Victorian civic architecture, which was built in 1897 by E.W. Mountford.  All of the exterior is constructed in Stoke Hall stone, a uniformly buff coloured gritty sandstone from the Kinderscout Grit in Grindleford - 15 km from Sheffield city centre - and the roofs are covered in Westmorland slate.

A detail of the carved stonework above the main entrance

It is the north-west facing façade, with an elaborately decorated main entrance, which provides the most interest for an architectural historian, along with the relief sculptures by F.W. Pomeroy – depicting the Arts and Industries of Sheffield - which would probably benefit from a good clean.

A detail of the "Arts and Industries of Sheffield" by F.W. Pomeroy

Along its south elevation, the Renaissance Revival style elements of the building are much more simple, especially those used in the 1923 extension, but in the original Victorian west section, there are various sculptures to be seen at the higher levels. The remaining elevations, although also displaying some fine sculpture, were in deep shadow and - on this occasion - I didn't stop to take a good look at them.

A general view of the 1923 extension from the Peace Gardens

Although my main reason for wanting to visit Sheffield Town Hall was to see its interior, the inside of the main entrance to the building is worth seeing in its own right. On weekdays and Saturdays - when there are frequent wedding celebrations - it is usually so full of people coming and going that it's not easy to take photographs of its various details.

A commemorative plaque

A Climb to the Top of the Church Tower

A view from the tower of All Saints church

Having already explored the exterior of All Saints church in Aston-cum-Aughton - as part of my investigation of the mediaeval churches of Rotherham - I particularly wanted to visit it again during their Heritage Open Days event, because it provided a very rare opportunity to go all the way to the top of the tower.

A detail of the 18th century parapet to the tower

During previous Heritage Open Days at St. Helen's church in Treeton – as well as various other events at the Chapel of Our Lady on the Bridge and All Saints church in Rotherham – I have wound up various spiral staircases. This has included leading a group of Spanish summer school teenagers to the top of the tower at York Minster, which is highly geared to the tourism industry, but my experience of standing on top of All Saints church was completely different.

Ascending the spiral staircase

As I have discovered when helping with some of the routine maintenance of St. Helen's church, the upkeep of a Grade I Listed mediaeval church is no easy task and, with the slow decay of the stonework over the years, the various ledges accumulate fragments of mortar and gritty stone dust, which can make the ascent and descent of the steep and narrow steps within a spiral staircase potentially hazardous.

Descending the spiral staircase

Ascending into the first stage of the tower, I was particularly interested to see the mechanism that drives the clock and, in the belfry itself, the vast iron structure that was needed to support the three remaining bells, which once numbered six in 1552.

The clock mechanism

In addition to the stresses applied to the tower by the swinging of its large bells, the area had problems with coal mining subsidence in the mid 20th century and – with weak foundations – the church tower was once tilted out of plumb, which has severely restricted the use of its bells and, at one time, also prevented the pendulum of the clock from swinging.

A few general views inside the belfry

Taking the final few steps up through the hatch to the roof, I have to say that I was disconcerted by the fact that I could see the through the parapets - and my first reaction was to quickly walk up to the apex of the lead roof and cling to the flagpole. Once feeling more comfortable, I then listened to the interesting information provided by our guide and took a few quick photos of the surrounding landscape with the other hand.

The hatch to the roof of the tower