St. Mary's Church, Colston
Bassett stands prominently on a site known to originate from Norman times with
many developments throughout the centuries. The site may be of earlier significance but
evidence for this or of surrounding dwellings has not been found. A roofless ruin since the late 19th century, it
comprises a four bay nave with a west tower, a south transept and an aisles
chancel. The majority of the church is
constructed of rough blocks of blue lias limestone laid in relatively thin
courses. A variety of different types of stone have been used for dressing and
facing, including white limestone and fossiliferous ironstone. The ironstones
in particular are now badly eroded.
St. John's Church, Colston Bassett was erected in 1892. A local legend claims a
boulder lying in the churchyard is a meteorite, but it has been identified as
cinnabar (the common ore of mercury), probably from Peru.
In this part of the Grantham
Canal, the underlying rock is gypsum which is both close to the surface and
porous and it was this part of the canal which caused problems during
construction and it had to be lined (puddled) with three feet of clay to
prevent seepage. Rules forbade bargemen
from using poles for fear of puncturing the canal bed and literally letting the
water out. Just before Cropwell Bishop,
stands an old warehouse, believed to be contemporary with the canal. This was
originally used to process gypsum - the
rock was crushed to powder and put into sacks before being loaded onto waiting
barges. The local gypsum was of a high quality (i.e. very white) and was used
for medicinal pills, brewing and plaster of Paris. From 1951 the British Gypsum
Company began quarrying for the rock and the underground mines ceased to
operate.
Tea and cakes in the Memorial Hall.
