Newhey is dominated by the now redundant quarry, which can seen from the village and the church. The geology relating to the area is from the Carboniferous period, during which this area formed part of a large river delta system, the rivers carried large volumes of sand and mud, which were deposited in the delta system. At times, the areas between the river channels formed swamps covered in tropical forest. At other times, the sea rose over the delta, and flooded the forests. Sand was deposited in the river channels, and over time sandstone was formed. Its is a sedementary rock, this means that the grains of sand that make up the rock were laid down and then compressed over time to make the rock that we see today. Shale is from where mud was deposited in the river floodplains or in the sea.It is thin and friable. Mudstone (also called mudrock) is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. If you stand at the side of the church and look to the east, you will see the quarry wall, and will notice that there are different layers, a bit like a cake, but this time a cake of geology.
We are, however not here to discuss the local carboniferous geology, but to have a look at geology in relation to the church, namely the stone used in its construction.
The Church
The Church was built in 1875 as a replica of Holy Trinity Church, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, which had been erected fifteen years previously. It is made of Bath stone which gives it a clean and shining appearance during the day, and a translucent appearance at night, especially when the moon is out. In 1875 the foundation stone of the present Church was laid by the late Mr. James Heap, who with his brother Benjamin, gave the money for the erection of a Church in Newhey in memory of their father, Mr. Thomas Heap, of Cliff House, Newhey, the site of the present Milnrow Memorial Park. In the Church there is a memorial tablet to Mr James Heap erected by his mill employees, and both he and his wife are buried in a vault near to the south-west porch. These are indeed fitting testimonials to the Church's benefactors. What is now the parish of Newhey was part of the ancient parish of Rochdale in medieval times. Later, when Saddleworth became a separate parish, the whole of what was the Milnrow Urban District Council was included in that parish. Later again, the township of Butterworth grew up in the parish of Saddleworth, and Newhey was included within that. It was in the nineteenth century that Butterworth became the new Milnrow, and it was the clergy of Milnrow Parish Church who conducted the first Anglican Services in Newhey. These were held in what is now the Day School in Huddersfield Road. Built in 1865 at a total cost of £853 3s. 3d., the Day School was used as a place of worship until the Church was built in 1876. Worship continued in the School until the Church at the top of the hill was consecrated by the then Bishop of Manchester, on St. Thomas’ Day, 21st December, 1876.
The EarthCache
If you have read the description above, you will notice that the church is made out of Bath Stone, so what is Bath Stone?
Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone. Oolitic limestone is a carbonate rock made up mostly of ooliths (or ooids) which are sand-sized carbonate particles that have concentric rings of Calcium Carbonate. These rings are formed around grains of sand or shell fragments that were rolled around on the shallow sea floor, gathering layer after layer of limestone.This limestone formed in a shallow sea. The rock has an even structure rather like cod roe and it can therefore be cut or sculpted in any direction. This feature, coupled with hardness, colour and durability, gives the limestone its quality as a building stone. Its colour can be white, grey or yellow, with a fine grained texture.
Whilst Bath Stone is not local to this locality, there is limestone in the north of England , namely in the Peak District, and Yorkshire Dales.
When talking about limestone, there is not just oolitic limestone. There is also:
Chalk, a soft, white, porous rock, which is composed of the mineral calcite. Chalk forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite shells (coccoliths).
Shelly limestone, which is a limestone which consists of a large number of fossils held together mainly in a calcite cement. This type of limestone can be found in the Dales and Peak District. It was deposited in a tropical environment of shallow seas. It has a variable texture, and the fossils may be complete or in fragments.
I would like you to look at the doorways around the church, specifically the carved archwork. Please look at its colour, composition and run your hands over it. Then proceed to read the below and answer the questions.
This being an EarthCache, in order to log it, I ask that you answer some questions. Please send them to me, and do not include them in your log. You can send them to me by using the message facility or email, both of which can be found by looking at my profile.
1. We have already established that the church is constructed from Bath Stone, please tell me how we know it is not constructed from Chalk.
2. Examing the doorways, and specifically the carved archwork, please describe the stone composing the arch, namely, its colour, feel and what does it look like?
3. Using the above information, what is the archwork made out of? Is it Bath Stone, Chalk or Shelly limestone? What is the rationale for your answer?
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