Research
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Current Research Projects
A number of research projects are in progress, and members are encouraged to participate in any or all of these. Meetings are open to all members.
- Church Building Stones - Co-ordinator: Richard Myerscough
- To survey churches within defined geographical areas as:
- Central Yorkshire Wolds
- Holderness
- Howardian Hills
- Northern scarp from Malton to Flamborough Head
- Western scarp of the Yorkshire Wolds from Malton to the River Humber - To record building stone(s) used in the construction of named churches.
- To build a resource base for named churches, stored electronically and as printed/photograph records, including information available from written records or on web sites.
- To relate the age of the named church to the building stone(s) used.
- To relate the use and reuse of stone to local and distant quarries.
- To record churches associated with large estates and the 'import' of building stones from other areas of Britain and Europe.
- To relate (where possible) the reuse of stone from archaeological sites.
- To advice on suitable replacement stone(s) for repairs.
- To promote the educational value of churches.
- To survey churches within defined geographical areas as:
- Brandsby Roadstone/Slate - Co-ordinators: Tony Wright and Robin Wardell
- Surveys of quarries, walls and roofing 'slates'.
- Both High and Low Status used/reused throughout history from medieval times to C19
- Unique facies of the Scarborough Formation (Mid Jurassic)
- Recorded by its absence from High Status Sites
- Very few buildings are roofed in 'slates' often being replaced by tiles or West Riding(?) flags
- Few examples found away from main quarry sites (now overgrown)
- Mowthorpe Quarries/Sheriff Hutton Castle - Co-ordinator: Tony Wright
- Archaeological, Geological and Historical research into the Castle and Source Quarries
- Working with BGS on 'Lake Mowthorpe' and historical records as to transport of stone
- Recent field work on bloomery sites (Medieval?) that used local Mid Jurassic coals and ironstones from Cleveland Ironstone/Staithes Sandstone Members (Middle Lias)
- Field Walking has recovered Mesolithic flints and unidentified pottery shards
- DMV at Birkdale Farm may be artisan working site (?)
- Building Stone from quarries looks like Dogger but fauna is more like Whitwell Oolite!
- Possible channel deposits cutting through Dogger during deposition of Whitwell Oolite?
- Similar channels recently seen cutting into Dogger in Bilsdale
- Hildenley Limestone - Co-ordinator: post vacant
- To set up a database for examples of Hildenley Limestone found during other survey work.
- High Status (Late Jurassic) limestone used/reused from pre-Roman(?) to late C19.
- Odd blocks are being recorded in buildings many kilometres away from quarries.
- Depositional origins still not understood but top may be equivalent to Coral Rag.
- Research work on 'chalk-like' figurines at Hull Museum underway to identify rock type.
- Recorded from High Status buildings by its absence, ie plundered and moved on.
- Rock/Fossil Collection - Co-ordinator: Richard Myerscough
- To collect samples for the Group and other interested organisations.
- Historical Archive - Co-ordinator: Tony Wright
- Rock/Fossil Collections held at Local Museums - Co-ordinator: post vacant
- To visit local museums to find historically recorded collections referenced to local geology, history and building stones.
- Village/Building Surveys - Co-ordinator: Edward Freedman
- To select individual buildings or whole villages and circulate members to assist with survey using maps and historical data.
Reports
The following reports have been published by the Group:
- Sheriff Hutton Castle and Source Quarries (2003)
- Hildenley Quarries and Slingsby Castle (2003, revised 2007)
- Settrington and Local Quarries (2004)
- Sheriff Hutton and High Stittenham (2004)
- Brandsby (2005)
- Hovingham (2005)
- Church Fabric Research Group Report (2006)
- Mowthorpe Project Report (2006)
- Brandsby Roadstone and Slate (2007)
- Crambe Church, Whitwell Church, and Spy Hill Quarries (2007)
To view the reports above you will need Adobe Reader:
