The Mam Tor Landslip

A general view of the old Mam Tor road

During August 2017, the trip to Hope Cement Works with the Sheffield U3A Geology Group provided me with an opportunity to visit a place that I was otherwise unlikely to see; however, the afternoon session was dedicated to a brief exploration of the landslips at the base of Mam Tor – a site that I first visited as an undergraduate geologist and have seen many times since when visiting Castleton for both work and pleasure. 

Mam Tor with the entrance to the old Odin Mine in the foreground

The vertical faced scar exposes a cyclical succession of turbidite sandstones and shale of the Mam Tor Beds, which are very susceptible to landslips and has resulted in Mam Tor also being known as the shivering mountain. 

The Mam Tor landslip

Elsewhere in the Dark Peak – such as the nearby Back Tor and Bretton Clough – there are other spectacular examples of landslips but, at Mam Tor, it is the history of the failed attempts to keep the A625 road open that is of most interest here. 

A view across the landslip towards Castleton

Mam Tor road was first constructed across the landslip zone in 1819 using spoil from the nearby Odin Mine, to replace an ancient packhorse route that ran through Winnats Pass. This rotational landslide, which began approximately 4000 years ago, is particularly active after periods of prolonged wet weather and major road works were undertaken several times during the 20th century until 1979, when it was finally closed. 

A general view of the Mam Tor road

When I first visited Mam Tor, I remember that the recently closed A625 road wasn’t in very good condition but, nearly 40 years later, I was extremely surprised to see how much it had deteriorated - large sections of the old road have been fractured and others have broken up completely have been slowly sliding down the slope. 

A view of Hope Cement Works with Castleton in the foreground

As with the visit to Hope Cement Works earlier in the day, memories of studying Industrial and Environmental Geology as an undergraduate came flooding back. My 2: II Bsc. Hons. degree in Geology, with subsidiary Chemistry and Zoology, is nothing to boast about; however, on this course, I was top of my class and it proved to be influential on future work that I would do. 

Fractures on the old Mam Tor road

Although by no means an expert on the construction of roads, I think that students of engineering geology and civil engineering would find the remains of the Mam Tor road particularly fascinating. Sections up to 2 metres thick, exposing the various road courses, record the numerous efforts to keep this very important road route open over the years. 

A section through the old Mam Tor road

The geology, mineralogy, geomorphology, archaeology, industrial history and beauty of Castleton and the surrounding area ensure that it ranks very highly in the places to visit in the Peak District National Park - for geologists and the general public alike. 

A general view of the old Mam Tor road

Hope Cement Works

The limestone quarry at Hope Cement Works

Before studying for a degree in geology, I took a year out after leaving school to work as a builder’s labourer in London and I became very familiar with various types of sand, gravel, aggregate, cement and clay products. 

An Industrial & Environmental Geology textbook

Having considered studying as a building surveyor in London, I decided to go to Nottingham University and, during my final year, I opted to study Industrial and Environmental Geology, which largely concentrated on the various bulk materials that I had got to know even better – when returning to London during the holidays. 

A textbook introduction to cement making

I never thought of working in this field but, when a trip to Hope Cement Works was placed on the itinerary of the Sheffield U3A Geology Group, I didn’t want to miss it. As a tourist to Castleton, when living in High Green to the north of Sheffield many years ago, and having worked briefly as a geologist for the Peak District National Park Authority – surveying its Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS) – I had passed it very many times and I was very curious. 

A Google Earth view of Hope Cement Works

Unlike the area around Buxton, where the quarrying of limestone has left scars to such an extent that it has been excluded from the National Park, Hope Cement Works has been here since 1929, long before the region was designated as a National Park. 

Hope Cement Works forms a distinctive landmark

Its stack forms a landmark that can be seen from miles around, but much of the industrial complex - which includes quarries for the limestone and shale and its own railway line - has had its visual impact reduced by careful landscaping and tree planting. 

A sculpture with the theme of "Safety"

The extent of the works was partly demonstrated with a trip to the limestone quarry in a minibus, during which we passed various very large pieces of plant and machinery and, from the quarry edge, we were provided with an explanation of the quarrying process. 

The geology around Hope Cement Works

The quarry cuts through the Monsal Dale Limestone Formation and the upper part of the underlying Bee Low Limestone Formation, and the variation of the chert content in these means that the chemistry needs to be continually monitored and the silica content adjusted to 5 % before the stone is moved on to the works. 

A reference to Hope Cement Works in the BGS Memoir

At the works, further information on Hope Cement Works was provided in a short presentation and the tour finished with a visit to the control room, where every aspect of the cement making process is managed using a vast bank of computer screens, which made a big impression on me.

The control room at Hope Cement Works

St. Helen's Church - Maintenance Part V

A clump of daisies in the path that runs through St. Helen's churchyard

The public footpath that runs through St. Helen's churchyard presents yet another problem of maintenance. The Greenmoor Rock in South Yorkshire gained a national reputation for its high quality paving; however, although this stone would have been readily available, a flaggy variety of ’Rotherham Red' sandstone has been used instead here for crazy paving.

A view of  the path in St. Helen's churchyard

Although Rotherham Red sandstone is a moderately durable general building stone, it is not suitable as a paving stone. In winter, the flaggy beds – which contain a high proportion of silt – are susceptible to delamination due to the freeze-thaw process and a large number of individual paving stones have decayed to such an extent that they form shallow potholes, which are full of fine mud and small lumps of degrading stone.

A detail of frost damage in the winter of 2017/2018

Over time, with no manpower or resources to keep the paths cleaned and well maintained, these potholes have been colonised by grass, various weeds and - this year - clumps of daisies. If the paths have not been swept of leaves, dead flowers and branches, they can be unseen and present a general trip hazard to anyone who passes through the churchyard.

A view of the path in late May 2018

With there being a large concentration of potholes in the area outside the church porch, anyone wearing high heels at a wedding, baptism or any of the other church services that still take place here are particularly at risk from a sprained ankle or a similar injury.

Potholes in St. Helen's churchyard

Attempts have been made to repair many sections in the path - using concrete - but this has failed in places and is not appropriate for a Grade I Listed building in a Conservation Area.

The path through St. Helen's churchyard

The guidance notes produced by the Diocese of Sheffield for the maintenance of closed churchyards clearly state that the responsibility for repair lies with the local authority and, with various other paths and walls also needing considerable attention, it is quite clear that these duties are being neglected by Rotherham MBC in Treeton.

Weathering of flagstones in St. Helen's churchyard

St. Helen's Church - Maintenance Part IV

Evidence of severe structural movement

Having spent more than 2 years helping out with a wide variety of tasks at St. Helen’s church in Treeton – up on the roofs, out in the churchyard, clearing ivy and sweeping steps and paths – I have got to know the fabric of the church and its boundary walls very well.

The main entrance to St. Helen's churchyard on Front Street

In the 20 years that I have lived in Treeton, I only know of two occasions when masonry work has been carried out to the church – once when I was in Paraguay for several weeks when work was undertaken to the tower and another time when there were repairs to the main entrance steps.

The main entrance steps to St. Helen's church

I have not yet had an opportunity to meet the church architect but, with my background in the building restoration industry and possessing specialist skills in stone matching, I would be very interested to discuss how this Grade I Listed church could be best maintained; however, not being party to the process that decides what work should be done, I just continue to make my own observations of the changing condition of the church and its churchyard.

A general view of the retaining wall on Church Lane

As a geologist, I know the escarpment very well, having viewed it from afar and explored the various lanes and paths that cross it many times. I have particularly noticed the walls that stretch from Station Road to Washfield Lane, where the mainly Rotherham Red sandstone walls contains a high proportion of Treeton Rock 

A set of steps from Church Lane to St. Helen's church

Like St. Helen's church, many sections of the walls here had become thickly covered in ivy but, now that this has been cleared, it is much easier to observe and record any structural movement that may be taking place here - given the coal mining history of Treeton and its surrounds.

The retaining wall on Church Lane

To the rear entrance on Church Lane, a large tree occupying the churchyard here is on the verge of causing a structural failure to a retaining wall. Rotherham MBC have been informed of this many times by various parties and, in the past two years, a section of this wall has been displaced by more than 5 cm yet - unlike the interior of the church - no attempt has been made to monitor the movement here with any kind of tell-tale.

Structural movement at St. Helen's church

St. Helen's Church - Maintenance Part III

Day to day maintenance at St. Helen's churchyard

The spring of 2017 had started off in a busy manner, with my exploration of the Sheffield Round Walk and the villages of Norton, Grenoside and Green Moor and - throughout the summer – I continued with the removal of ivy, brambles, bindweed etc. from the boundary  walls and overgrown parts of St. Helen’s church in Treeton.

Cutting back a sycamore sapling

Set in the heart of the Conservation Area in Treeton, St. Helen’s churchyard forms an attractive green space but, with essential maintenance carried out mainly by a couple of elderly members of the diminishing congregation, large sections of the walls and adjoining areas had been untouched for several years, with ivy completely overwhelming them in places.

Removing ivy coming from the old rectory

As I had discovered when removing ivy from many of the standing gravestones and traditional graves, its roots and tendrils penetrate every crevice and it will embed itself into mortar joints of the boundary walls, where these are soft or are failing.

Cutting back ivy to the north boundary wall

With the various boundary walls now largely cleared, the condition of the masonry can now be better assessed and any necessary work undertaken if required - over the years, adjoining trees have displaced sections of wall to the extent that they are becoming unstable.

Cleaning the gate to the old rectory

Using only hand tools, the bulk of the ivy could be removed quite easily but the disposal of its foliage created its own problems. Without a wood shredder available, and the only space for the cuttings being a corner of the churchyard that was used for cleared leaves, a large sand bag proved to be an excellent means of moving them.

Renewed growth of a sycamore sapling

Although there is still the need to cut back or remove long established stumps of well-established sycamore and holly trees and there are parts of the churchyard that grow wild in the summer months, its overall appearance is much improved and its future management and maintenance should now be considerably easier. 

Removing ivy from the wall adjoining the Old Rectory

With some planning and careful management, there is scope to further develop the activities that have been undertaken at the church by children from St. Helen’s Primary School or to further investigate its potential as a Living Churchyard.

Ivy on the wall next to the steps to Church Lane

St. Helen's Church - Maintenance Part II

A cross in St. Helen's churchyard

In the autumn and winter months, the maintenance at St. Helen’s church is usually concerned with the essential cleaning of the roofs and rainwater goods, as well as the various steps and paths that form part of the public right of way that crosses the churchyard.

A large gravestone in St. Helen's churchyard

In spring and summer, it is the churchyard that needs the most attention and, as a closed churchyard, it is the responsibility of Rotherham MBC to maintain it – including the repair of paths, boundary and retaining walls and memorials – and to keep the trees monitored and the herbage under control.

Another large gravestone in St. Helen's churchyard

With local authority budgets for this kind of work now being cut to the bone, except for the occasional cutting of grass, their presence is rarely seen and the task of maintaining St. Helen’s churchyard falls on the remaining members of an increasingly elderly congregation.

A large gravestone before and after cleaning

Unsurprisingly, with no more than a handful of hours being spent on all of the tasks needed for the day to day maintenance of the church in any week, very many parts of the churchyard have become overgrown with brambles, sycamore saplings, bindweed and particularly ivy.

A plain cross in St. Helen's churchyard

The latter was left unrestrained to pervade most of the tombs, to take over large sections of the boundary walls and to grow over and completely obscure very many of the monuments and gravestones that are still left standing, as well as many of the trees.

A gravestone in St. Helen's churchyard

As I soon discovered, when I set out - armed with a pair of secateurs and a paint scraper - to clean one of the memorials that are near to the church porch, the roots and tendrils of ivy plants are incredibly invasive and often extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove from the crevices into which they have grown.

A wall and grave before and after cleaning

Nonetheless, with a bit of patience and care, the effort was soon rewarded by the unveiling of examples of fine letter cutting and stone carving that have been hidden for years. I found this very satisfying and, within a few weeks, I had cleaned most of the heavily overgrown graves throughout the churchyard.

A 20th century gravestone

St. Helen's Church - Maintenance Part I

The roof to the south aisle

When I was commissioned by the project archaeologist to undertake a survey of the external fabric of All Saints church in Pontefract back in 1999, prior to extensive restoration of the stonework to the tower, I thought that I was particularly suited to this kind of work.

The roof to the north aisle

Having developed the specialist skill of “stone matching” when working at Triton Building Restoration Ltd. – and subsequently creating the Triton Stone Library – my eyes are trained to detect the subtle differences in the colours and textures of various building stones that have been used in the construction and subsequent extension and repair of historic buildings.

Removing beech leaves and nuts

Following a brief encounter with a few archaeologists in Wath upon Dearne, when I discovered that All Saints church was used to introduce a variety of students and professionals to standing buildings archaeology, I was prompted to undertake a thorough survey of the building stones and construction history of St. Helen’s church in Treeton – where I live - which turned into an investigation of the mediaeval churches in South Yorkshire and the surrounding counties.

The lounge roof

My idea was to try and reconnect with the professionals who work with historic buildings like this, and I have since had various enquiries from churchwardens, architects and local history groups, who expressed great interest in the work that I was doing.

Beech leaves and nuts blocking a gutter to the vestry roof

Although no paid work has arisen from my efforts to date, except for a talk to Aston-cum-Aughton History Group that described my investigation of the mediaeval churches between Treeton and Harthill, having also encountered stonemasons and other tradesmen at work, it has provided me with a great insight into the problems and procedures that are associated with the maintenance and repair of Grade I Listed churches.

Views of the gutter on the south aisle

At St. Helen’s church, having thoroughly surveyed the fabric of the building and undertaken a comprehensive photographic record, I have attended their Coffee Mornings ever since. Intended primarily as an open social event for the community, it is the only time when day to day maintenance of the church is undertaken by members of the remaining congregation who are still both able and willing to do it.

A downpipe

I am not religious, but I like the way that the church still forms the core of a community that was devastated by the Coal Miners' Strike - and from which it is still feeling the effects - and I was soon involved with a wide variety of practical tasks that helped with its day to day maintenance.

A tile to the vestry roof that is in need of repair

Looking up at the village of Treeton from the River Rother, the ‘two-tone’ tower is seen to protrude from a clump of mature trees which shed very many leaves and nuts in autumn and various small branches in winter.

Assessing the condition of the fabric

Especially where the beech trees from the Old Rectory overhang the church roofs, the rainwater goods can soon become clogged and need to be cleaned regularly. At the age of 55, I was much more able to go up ladders and spiral staircases than most of the regular attendees of the church and so I have been unblocking the hopper heads, gutters, downpipes and removing the leaves and unwanted plants from various roofs ever since - as well as keeping my eye on its condition.

Removing an elder sapling