Discover Hollington

If you are looking for a hotel in Hollington, the history of its buildings and setting can be a helpful guide when choosing a destination. Hollington offers a focus on sandstone architecture, historic buildings and the history of its quarries. Highlights include the Church of St John, The Temple, a farmhouse, an orangery and a walled garden. Taken together, these examples tell of different materials, forms and periods; sandstone connects several of these themes without making their architectural histories equivalent.

Church Architecture and Dome Design

The Church of St John was built in 1859–61 by G. E. Street as a Chapel of Ease. Roughly dressed, irregular Hollington sandstone and steeply pitched tiled roofs define the building. Other features include a west bellcote, a porch on the north side and an apse. The combination of irregular masonry and a steep roof gives the church a distinctive architectural profile. At The Temple, eight Ionic columns support a plain frieze, a cornice and a dome made of evenly laid stone. The regular courses of stone create a different effect from the church’s roughly dressed masonry. The Temple was built in the 1850s using parts of Heath House, which had been demolished shortly beforehand. The comparison therefore shows not only different architectural forms: the reuse of older building elements is also part of The Temple’s history.

Sandstone and Quarry History

The history of sandstone in Hollington can be explored through its extraction and later use. Two quarries operated by the Stevensons produced different colours: one white sandstone, the other red sandstone. Stone from Hollington Quarry was also used in the construction of Coventry Cathedral. This brings two different perspectives together: the colour variations of the stone quarried in Hollington and its use in a building project in Coventry. This adds the question of where building materials come from and which buildings they are used in to the study of masonry and roof forms.

Farmhouse, Orangery and Garden

Yard Farm House is a listed 17th-century farmhouse, designated Grade II. The orangery was built around 1830 by James Trubshaw. It is made of yellow sandstone ashlar and has a curved, hipped glass roof with cast-iron glazing bars. The combination of ashlar and a glazed roof creates a different effect from the tiled roofs of the Church of St John. The walled garden lies about 300 metres north of Heath House and is thought to date from the early 19th century. It measures approximately 100 by 150 metres. While the orangery can be dated to around 1830, the garden’s date is less precise.

A Route with a Historical Connection

The Hollington Circle also offers a different way to explore the area’s history. A group walk described in 2017 went around Hollington Village and visited The Raddle Inn towards the end. If you are considering the Circle for your plans today, check the current route.

Discover more destinations: Brewood, Whitmore, Barton Under Needwood, Rolleston-on-Dove, Alton, Lichfield, Stone, Hamstall Ridware.

For the wider travel overview: Staffordshire.