 Stanford on Soar
St John the Baptist
Stonework
The west tower has two sides (N & S) constructed of very large, angular,
random rubblestone blocks of assorted metamorphic and igneous rocks from the
Charnwood Forest area (Charnian). Unusually, the third wall of the tower is
of ashlared, grey-green, local, fine to medium grained, cross-bedded sandstone
from the local Triassic (Sherwood Sandstone Group), probably from the Castle
Donnington area.
The Nave walls are constructed of a mixture of rough, rubblestone blocks and
cobbles of local pale grey Lower Jurassic limestone (Lias Limestone) and Charnian
material, with carved window mouldings and buttresses etc of greenish-grey
Triassic, fine to medium grained, cross-bedded ashlared sandstone. In contrast,
above, at clerestory level the limestone has been replaced in the walls with
more large, hard, angular, Charnian rubblestone blocks as in the tower walls.
The ‘new’ chancel is of ashlared, hard, purple-red, coarse to
very coarse grained Carboniferous sandstone (Millstone Grit Group). The entrance
porch is also of hard, greenish grey Millstone Grit Group sandstone.
With thanks to Graham Lott for this information
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