Headon cum Upton
St Peter

Stonework

Main Structure

The church is largely built of grey skerry, a local dolomitic sandstone which occurs in thin beds within the red mudstones of the Mercian Mudstone Group (Triassic age).

Dolomitic or magnesian limestone (Cadeby Formation, Permian age) is used in mouldings around the windows, except for the lancet windows in the tower which are narrow enough for skerry to have been used. Where magnesian limestone has been used, there appears to be deliberate selection in the form of alternating yellow and white limestone blocks. The buttresses are of magnesian limestone, the main part being of yellow stone and the footings and string courses of harder, grey skerry sandstone. The colours of the stone have dulled over time, but must have looked very striking when new. The magnesian limestone would have come from some distance, from the western edge of the county (possibly from the Steetley area) and would have been expensive to transport.

The eastern wall of the church has been rebuilt with old stone, skerry, it is probably the original stone which was re-used.

Infilled tower arch

The newer (Victorian?) infill of the arches in the tower and the north door are of hand-dressed oolitic and shelly Lincolnshire limestone, probably Ancaster Stone (Middle Jurassic age). There have been many small repairs to the original fabric using this yellow Lincolnshire limestone.

A few ironstone cobbles, possibly from the Trent, have been used as infill on the south facing chancel wall.

The roof is of Welsh slate. It was re-slated in the 1930’s, and the aisle roofs again in 1984.

The Interior

The pillars and arches are of magnesian limestone.

The floor near the entrance and in the chancel, and the steps are of Derbyshire sandstone flags.

The effigy and the reredos are of magnesian limestone.

The font is also of magnesian limestone, with decorative Derbyshire polished limestone pillars.

One of the tomb slabs in the chancel (near the vestry door and partially concealed) is of Cambrian Swithland slate from Charnwood Forest. Hardolph and Judith Wasteney’s slabs, to either side of the altar, are of polished black Carboniferous limestone, possibly from Derbyshire.

With thanks to Dr Graham Lott of British Geological Survey.