Doncaster Scientific Society at Blyth
The last excursion of the current session in connection with the above society was held on Thursday last, Blyth being the place selected for investigation. Only a small number of members took part in the ramble, no doubt owing to the midday session taking many away from home.
Cyclist met in Waterdale at 2.30 p.m. and journeyed by way of Bawtry. At Rossington Bridge a halt was made because of the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris), one of our most beautiful late summer wild flowers, formerly common on Potteric Carr, but now restricted in this locality to a few patches of marshy ground. Nothing further of botanical interest was noted on the way, but the country traversed was very beautiful, especial after passing Bawtry, the road thence to Blyth skirting the edge of Selby Park.
The non-cycling ramblers went to Ranskill by the 2,25 p.m. train, and walked to Blyth by a somewhat circuitous route through Serlby Park. Here the photographers found many pretty bits of landscape, and under the direction of the geological leader, an interesting section of the gravels and sand in a quarry.
Other members of the party devoted their attention to the wild flowers. These, on examination, proved to be the usual plants found in the sandy districts around Doncaster, with the addition of the Hare’s-foot clover (Trifolium arvense), and Sheep’s Scabious (Jasione montana). Both these plants are to be found in a few places nearer to Doncaster and within the West Riding boundary, but are evidently more common in Nottinghamshire.
On arriving at Blyth it was soon apparent that the climate there is considerably warmer that that of the Don Valley. Peaches were to be seen ripening on the cottage walls, and at the side of one house was a splendid tree of the delicate Tea Rose (Safrano) in full flower. Indeed, one felt as if one had suddenly been placed in a village of Worcestershire of Warwickshire.
The grand old Church, for which Blyth is noted, was next examined with much interest. The central portion of the nave is one of the finest specimens of early Norman architecture in England. The side aisles are of 14th Century work, the west window Perpendicular, and the tower, Late Decorated and Perpendicular. There is a very fine oak screen of Perpendicular style in the south aisle, and altogether the Church teams with interesting examples of medieval architecture. The tower was ascended, and from the top a wide and beautiful view was to be had, conspicuous distant objects being the churches of Doncaster and Laughton, whilst, immediately below, the river Idle wound along through rich corn and meadow land.
Soon after leaving the Church, two of the party were fortunate enough to meet Mr. Spencer, a Blyth resident, who is working up the archaeology of the district, and who lately found some very interesting remains of prehistoric age in a “barrow” in the village. These relics he kindly showed. They consist of a very fine brachycephalic human skull, some fragments of human bone, a marrow coop made from a sheep’s bone, and a partially drilled pebble that appears to have been intended for a weapon, but was never completed. The stone of which it is made is such as may be found in any of the gravel beds in the vicinity, and points to the probability of its having belonged to a resident who used the local material for his needs. It is also an interesting point that there is a depressed fracture in the skull that was found along with the weapons, and which would be caused by a severe blow with such a weapon as the pebble itself would make.
A good tea was enjoyed at the Red Hart Hotel, after which the party returned to Doncaster, the general opinion being that the Bluth excursion had been one of the most interesting held by the society.