A Geology Field Trip to Chrome Hill

An explanation of the geology at Chrome Hill

Since leading the Sheffield U3A Geology Group to Pontefract in June 2019, although I had kept myself very busy for two months and had travelled widely, I was unable to attend the overnight stay in Whitby and I had missed getting out into the countryside to see some hard rock geology.

The geology around Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill

I was therefore particularly looking forward to our trip to Chrome Hill, especially since it had been planned for the previous year and had to be cancelled due to high winds throughout the UK, which I compensated for with a trip to Edensor.

Parkhouse Hill in 1995

Back in 1995, I undertook a survey of the established RIGS (Regionally Important Geological Sites) in the Peak District National Park – to report on their tourism value – and thought that the landform composed of Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill was the best that I had seen although, at the time, access to the Duke of Devonshire’s land was denied and I was only able to assess it from afar.

A view from Hitter Hill

Twenty five of us met outside the church at Earl Sterndale, before setting off to Hitter Hill where we made our first stop. With the spectacular fault bound north-west faces of Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill in front of us, we learned that the area known as the White Peak occupies an area that was once a large atoll during the Lower Carboniferous Period.

An explanation of our geological map handout

This atoll comprised a central shallow lagoon, with mounds of algal limestone, brachiopods, goniatites, corals and bivalves forming apron reefs and knoll reefs at its edges, flanked by abundant crinoids, and these erosion resistant reefs form dome like landforms.

The White Peak atoll © Trevor Ford

Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill are composed of Bee Low Limestone and the embayment to the north-west, which is covered in Namurian Bowland Shale, is considered to be an original feature, as is the fore reef that has bedding planes that are sub-parallel to the south-west facing slopes.

A geological map from the Mercian Geologist

The current limestone topography is thought to be the result of its exhumation from beneath the covering of the softer mudstone, particularly during the Quaternary Period, with modification by local faulting and folding.

A discussion at the base of Parkhouse Hill

The Group then continued down to the base of the south-west face of Parkhouse Hill, where we had a look at an exposure of the fore reef limestone and further discussed its formation before heading up Chrome Hill.

A view from Parkhouse Hill to Dovedale

Taking a break to relate the topography that we had so far encountered to its position on the geological map, we had good views of Parkhouse Hill and Dovedale in the distance, where its apron reefs could be clearly distinguished.

A view from the top of Chrome Hill

At this point, the less able members of the Group took the path that runs below the north-west slope of Chrome Hill, while the others made their way along the ridge, which has some precipitous drops in places.

Massive algal limestone on Chrome Hill

Having negotiated the often difficult terrain along the ridge, without having a good opportunity to study the geology, those of us who took this route stopped briefly to look at an exposure of massive limestone, with no obvious bedding, which constitutes the bulk of the reef.

Steeply dipping beds in the fore reef limestone

Stopping for lunch at a convenient point at the north-west end of Chrome Hill, we then had a look at a good exposure of fore reef limestone before heading north to higher ground where we had a look at a sinkhole, before encountering an outlier of Longnor Sandstone.

The overgrown opening to a sinkhole

With time moving on and a grey sky now threatening rain, we headed east onto the Bee Low Limestone where we crossed the steep sided Dowel Dale, an original ravine in the apron reef and which is flanked by fore reef limestone.

A view down Dowel Dale

Having seen all of the rock exposures on the circular route, we then headed back downslope towards Earl Sterndale, where we unfortunately discovered that the Quiet Woman public house had closed for the afternoon.

The Quiet Woman public house

A Trip to Wakefield

The interior of the Chantry Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin

After a month spent investigating mediaeval churches in north-east Derbyshire, finishing at Barlborough, my next day out was with a friend from my Writing Group at Sheffield Library to Wakefield, when we attended a craft market at the Hepworth gallery. 

The weir on the River Calder at the Hepworth

While taking in the view of the weir on the River Calder from the Hepworth, I could see a sign outside the Chantry Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin. This is one of only four bridge chapels left in England and although I had passed by it a few times before, it had never been open and so we went to investigate. 

The south elevation of the Chantry Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin

The exterior, although much more ornate than the Chapel of Our Lady on the Bridge in Rotherham, was extensively restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1848 – only for the front to be renewed again c.1940 - and I was therefore very interested to see what its interior looked like. 

A detail inside the chapel

Unlike the chapel in Rotherham, whose pews, altar rail and altar give it the feeling of a miniature church, the layout is more informal with removable chairs and simple fittings; however, it has a lot of intricately carved stonework – including head stops to the windows, a niche with a statue in the south-east corner and the doorway to the crypt – but this is again all part of the 1848 restoration. 

The spiral staircase to the crypt

Descending by an extremely narrow spiral staircase into the crypt, the condition is much better than its counterpart in Rotherham and it was well lit and used to exhibit various artwork and ceramics at the time of our visit. 

The crypt

Finishing our quick tour of the chapel, we then crossed back over the road to investigate the bank of the River Calder, where there is the Grade II* Listed Calder and Hebble Navigation Warehouse and a short section of the Calder and Hebble Navigation canal. 

The Calder and Hebble Navigation Warehouse

The river was once lined with wharves but, although some of the associated industries still exist, the area is being redeveloped and the warehouse has now been converted into offices and blocks of flats have replaced many of them. 

The Calder and Hebble Navigation

On this occasion, we didn’t have the time to explore the centre of Wakefield but, as it was only a short diversion on the way home, we stopped off at Sandal Castle, which was undergoing conservation work. Although, like Pontefract Castle, very little of the structure remains, it is set on high ground overlooking the River Calder and it is worth visiting just for the views that can be had from the top of the motte.

A view from the motte at Sandal Castle

St. James Barlborough Revisited

A view along the nave to the east

During my first visit to the church of St. James the Greater in Barlborough, I had to use my old Canon EOS 400D camera, instead of my Canon PowerShot G16, and my photos of its interior were unsatisfactory, due to a colour cast that I could not rectify. 

The west side of the chancel arch

The major phase of restoration from 1894 to 1899, which included the rebuilding of the south arcade and south aisle, involved the re-plastering of the internal walls, leaving only the stonework to the arcades and arches to the tower and chancel exposed. 

A capital on the north arcade

With little opportunity to study the archaeology of the mediaeval fabric, especially the north aisle and the Lady Chapel, and having previously noted the main points of interest, I only spent time to take some general photographs of the interior during my return visit. 

The north arcade

The four bay north arcade, dated 1160-1170 according to the church guide, is the oldest feature in the church and comprises two octagonal columns and one that is quatrefoil in plan, with all of them having capitals that are sparingly carved with waterleaf decoration and round arches above. The sandstone of the arcade is obscured by the remains of C19 plaster, which was removed in 1933, and the east column still retains traces of original painted colours, although I did not see them. 

The south arcade

The very late Victorian south arcade at first glance appears to mimic the octagonal columns and round arches of the north arcade; however, looking closely, the arches are very slightly pointed. 

The tower arch

Both the tower and chancel arches are good examples of the Early English style, with the former composed of three orders that is similar in style to those of the Norman period and the latter having imposts that are elaborately decorated with leaves. 

The chancel arch

A few wall memorials of no great merit are scattered around the walls but, at the east end of the north aisle, an alabaster effigy of Lady Furnival, Joan Neville – d.1395 – is set into the floor; however, its rather cramped position and the iron cage that protects it makes it difficult to study. 

A detail of the effigy of Joan Neville

At the west end of the nave, the late Victorian font is remarkable mainly for the marble used in the colonnettes that support the bowl but, when leaving the church, the damaged remains of the mediaeval font is on display.

The Victorian (L) and mediaeval (R) fonts

An Exploration of Barlborough - Part 2

Twitchill

My first trip to Barlborough in July, to explore the village and the church of St. James the Greater, was disrupted by heavy rain but, with my mood boosted by a very productive trip to Adel, I returned a couple of weeks later in August.

A collection of bricks at Barlborough Heritage Centre

Alighting from the No. 53 bus from Sheffield on High Street, I firstly went to the excellent Barlborough Heritage Centre, where I was told about a new Derbyshire Greenway that is due to pass through Clowne and which has extensive exposures of Carboniferous and Permian rocks. 

A general view of the church of St.James the Greater

Leaving with a new idea for a possible field trip for the Sheffield U3A Geology Group, I then went to take a few photos of the interior of the church before it closed and then had a look at the part of the old village that I had not previously seen. 

The former Barlborough Church Institute

Walking down Church Street to the Chesterfield Road, the former Barlborough Church Institute provides a good example of the vernacular architecture that can be found all along the Magnesian Limestone escarpment, with dolomitic limestone used for walling and red pantiles for the roof. 

Stone Croft

Returning back towards the centre of the village, the Grade II Listed Stone Croft, dating to the mid C18, is built in similar materials and next to these are two pairs of estate cottages, dated 1860, which are built in brick with Welsh slate roofs. 

The Pole Almshouses

The adjacent Pole Almshouses, dated 1752, are built in Carboniferous sandstone and also with a Welsh slate roof. Looking closely at the stonework, the sandstone walling is moderately iron stained and quite weathered in places, with most of the quoins and dressings being restored. 

Barlborough House

To the west of the church, just beneath the escarpment, the C17 Barlborough House provides another example of the use of local Carboniferous sandstone with a Welsh slate roof and next to this is an old coach house built out of the same materials, but dating to the C18. 

The coach house

Unlike at Bolsover, I didn’t find any exposures of rock during my exploration of Barlborough; however, the C16 Town Well taps a spring that has formed at the junction of the permeable limestone and impermeable mudstone that occurs within the Cadeby Formation here.

The Town Well

A Brief Exploration of Adel

Adel Crag

After my investigation of the church of St. John the Baptist and various memorials in its graveyard, I then set off to find Adel War Memorial, which is shown in front of the Adel War Memorial Association building on Google Map. 

The west side of Adel War Memorial

Expecting to see a traditional memorial in the form of a figure or a cross, I was very surprised to see that it comprises a very large boulder of coarse grained gritstone, to which a simple brass plaque has been attached. 

The east side of Adel War Memorial

The boulder, which displays large scale cross-bedding, was brought from somewhere on Adel Moor, which lies just over 1 km to the south-east and is underlain by Midgely Grit and Guisely Grit, with the latter historically quarried for local use. The area is apparently strewn with large boulders and isolated outcrops such as the Buck Stone, but I didn’t have time to investigate. 

The parish hall

Having taken a few photographs of the war memorial, I retraced my steps through the churchyard and stopping briefly at the old stable block, which is now used as the parish hall, and carried on to York Gate Garden, where I asked for directions to Adel Crag. 

Stair Foot Lane

The short walk down Stair Foot Lane, which has no paths, demands your complete attention but it takes you to Adel Beck, which cuts through the siltstone and mudstone to form a distinct valley. 

Adel Beck

Adel Crag comprises a large block of gritstone, frequented by boulderers, which is isolated from sloping ground above that is punctuated by numerous small partially overgrown outcrops.

A general view of the rocks used for bouldering

The angle of dip in the gritstone does not follow the general trend in the area and one large rock in the exposure is dipping at 45 degrees, which strongly suggests that these are slipped blocks associated with solifluction in a periglacial environment. 

A geological map of the area around Adel

Looking at the geological map of the area, the position of Adel Crag appears to be associated with a small spur of Guiseley Grit but, immediately to the east, the younger Rough Rock forms higher ground and this may be its source.

Various outcrops of  Guiseley Grit at Adel Crag

The sample of loose gritstone that I collected is composed predominantly of angular quartz grains with a maximum dimension of 4 mm, with iron oxides in the cement being weathered to give the rock a very pale brown colour. 

Gritstone from Adel Crag

On the way back to the bus terminus, I took a few photos of the path that runs alongside Long Causeway, which is composed of large irregular and worn slabs that are believed to be the original Roman stones from the Ilkley to Tadcaster road. 

The path on Long Causeway

On my travels, I always look out for places that might be of interest for the Sheffield U3A Geology Group field trips and, combined with Roundhay Park, I thought that a trip to Adel would make a great day out.

York Gate Garden