 Shelford
St Peter and St Paul
Stonework
The church in general is built of very large sandstone blocks (ashlars) of
the Triassic period. The stone came from Gedling - an important quarry source
on the lower part of Mapperley ridge. The church
at Gedling is built of the same sandstone.
There are, however, different types of stone in some of the details. The mouldings
on the porch and the windows of the south aisle are of Lincolnshire oolitic
limestone (possibly Ancaster). The porch also incorporates two pillars of bright
red sandstone added at the time of rebuilding in the nineteenth century. This
stone probably came from Runcorn in Cheshire (which was also used in Clumber
Park), or possibly from Cumbria.
The chancel window, despite the alterations in Victorian times, appears to
incorporate old moulding of Triassic sandstone. The block work of the chancel
is a mix of oolitic and Triassic sandstone, plus some reddish sandstone from
Birchover in Derbyshire.
On the north side, almost all the Triassic sandstone blocks from Gedling are
very large. The window mouldings are basically of sandstone, but some verticals
have been replaced with oolitic limestone. Round the door on the north side
there is more hard reddish stone from Birchover.
The tower is also built of very large blocks of Gedling Triassic (reddish
and greenish) limestone, with natural cross-bedding in the stone.
Information from Dr Graham Lott.
| 
