A joint venture between the Earth Heritage Trust and Bewdley Museum featured the fascinating story of the building stones of Bewdley. The exhibition ran from 30th June to 12th August.
Geology has had a significant impact on civilisation. Rock provided the caves to shelter early man, the stone for masons to build our great cathedrals and the building material for a vast range of structures.
In and around Bewdley the use of local sandstone is ubiquitous. Sometimes red, sometimes grey, brown or even green, these rocks have been quarried nearby and at places along the River Severn. The river played a pivotal role in the development of quarries and transport of stone. The sandstones have been complemented by the import of limestones and other rock types.
The Guildhall entrance, St Anne’s church, the old gaol, the river bridge, the quayside, the railway viaduct, Wribbenhall and Ribbesford churches as well as the cottages, memorials, pavements and walls of the town – all provide a wonderful outdoor museum to explore.
During the exhibition Derek Martin of DJM Stonemasonry Ltd was present at the Museum to discuss his work and gave a demonstration of his skills. Also Dr Peter Oliver conducted a two hour guided walk looking at some of the stones featured in the exhibition and John Stocks ran a photographic workshop to discuss techniques involved in photographing geological features.
Building Stones Exhibition Image Gallery
