Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/270

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. xn. OCT. 2, 1915.

Glastonbury in 1249, and is referred to as de Buneton " the sculptor." He gave the name to a street in Glastonbury called Buneton Street. The late Canon C. M. Church, in his ' Four Somerset Bishops, 1136-1242,' furnishes what is by far the best account of the ecclesiastics who founded the "great" Church of St. Andrew at Wells.

There is another famous Somersetshir 6 quarry, south-west of Wells, called Hamdon Hill Quarry. This quarry dates back to Roman times. There is in Dorchester Museum a Roman coffin made of stone from Hamdon or Ham Hill. The churches and old houses in Sherborne and Blandford, and the old house known as Ford Abbey, are built of this stone ; also many West Somerset village crosses. Leland says :

" Hamden Hill is a specula, ther to view a

greate piece of the country therabout The

notable quarre of stone is even therby at Hamden, out of the which hath been taken stones for al the goodly buildings therabout in al quarters."

Mr. Charles Trask, who largely owns both Doulting and Ham Hill Quarries, is fortu- nately proud of their history, and from his writings I quote the following interesting statement, which is found in his book entitled ' Norton sub Hamdon,' p. 220 :

" The quarrying of the stone, preparatory to removal, is done in much the game way as it was done five hundred years ago. It is cut in grooves with a pick where necessary (the joints being of great assistance in saving this part of the work), and then lifted from its natural bed by wedges driven under it by a sledge-hammer. Heavy iron bars are used as levers, and when the stone is raised a few inches, a chain is put under the block, and in a few minutes it is hoisted to the surface by a steam crane.

" Many of the masons on the hill are the des- cendants of those who, for several generations, have worked at the same trade, and many have served their seven years' apprenticeship to learn the mysteries of their art.' We cannot say definitely that the masons of the present time are the descendants of the old church builders, but it is not improbable that some may be. Some bear Surnames which are thought to be of Norman origin, and Dr. Cunningham tells us that ' a very large number of masons and builders must have followed in the wake of the Conqueror.' "

The famous Bath stone is obtained at Box and Corsham ; and other Somersetshire quarries are at Combe Down and Farleigh.

Salisbury Cathedral is built of stone from Chilmark, a Wiltshire village. Chilmark stone is an oolite freestone found near Salisbury.

Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey were built largely of Caen stone. The history of the importation of this stone

from Norman and earlier times would make an interesting work. The Normans and the masons who came over with the Con- queror believed in this stone for building purposes. It was easily conveyed from France to English ports, and then travelled inland by pack-horses. Not only were Canterbury and Westminster built' largely of this stone, but many East Anglian churches also. The churchwardens' ac- counts of Sandwich have some interesting entries made when the steeple was rebuilt (1466) :

" Spendit on the mason of Crystchirche for to have an ynsyght yn the Cane (Caen) stone for the Stepill, vd."

" For v ton of Cane stone, xxvs."

" For iiij of bere (Beer) stone for the stepill, xxs."

" For vj ton and j pip of Folston (Folkestone) rag [this is what is now known as Kentish rag stone], viis."

When the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds was built, the stone used came chiefly from Barnack in Northamptonshire, but some from Caen. Lydgate says :

Ston brought from Kane out of Normandy

By the se, and set upon the strande

At Ratlysdene, and carried forth by lande.

Rattlesden is nine miles from Bury.

Caen stone is better for delicate carving than many softer English stones, but it does not resist climatic conditions so well as other stone. Some mediaeval builders ob- jected to the use of a foreign stone, and this gave rise to the use of Purbeck marble from Corle, Dorset. Parts of Canterbury and Chichester Cathedrals show the result of this rivalry.

Chester and Worcester Cathedrals are built of sandstone, a material which stands well internally, but perishes with exposure to the elements.

Winchester Cathedral is built of stone from Quarr, in the Isle of Wight.

York Minster, Beverley, and Ripon are built of stone from Bramham, near Tad- caster.

Peterborough Cathedral is built of stone from Ketton, in Rutland shire ; and the same stone is used in the famous churches of Stamford, and also in many of the colleges of Cambridge.

The Barnack Quarries in Northampton- shire have supplied the stone for many Northamptonshire churches. Dr. Cox says that, for the reason that it furnished so large an amount of the stone that was used in the best-known examples of pre-Norman