2016

SK9013 : Bench mark, St Nicholas' Church, Cottesmore

taken 11 years ago, near to Cottesmore, Rutland, England

Bench mark, St Nicholas' Church, Cottesmore
Bench mark, St Nicholas' Church, Cottesmore
See Link for location.
Bench Mark

Bench marks LinkExternal link were historically used to record the height above sea level of a location as surveyed against the Mean Sea Level data (most recently taken at Clarendon Dock, Belfast, for Northern Ireland data, Newlyn in Cornwall for data in Great Britain and Portmoor Pier, Malin Head, for data relating to the Republic of Ireland). They were used as part of a greater surveying network by the UK Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland (OSNI) and the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI). If the exact height of one bench mark is known then the exact height of the next can be found by measuring the difference in heights, through a process of spirit levelling. In this way hundreds of thousands of bench marks were sited all around the UK & Ireland from the mid 19th to late 20th centuries. There are several distinct types of bench mark:

- Fundamental bench marks have been constructed at selected sites where foundations can be set on stable strata such as bedrock. Each FBM consists of a buried chamber with a brass bolt set in the top of a granite pillar. See NG8825 : Dornie fundamental bench mark for an example. FBMs were used in Ireland as well as GB but have a different design without any surface pillar (little is known about most of them, but at least one has been found C4158 : Malin Head Fundamental Bench Mark).
- Flush brackets consist of metal plates about 90 mm wide and 175 mm long. Each bracket has a unique serial number. They are most commonly found on most Triangulation Pillars, some churches or on other important civic buildings. See J3270 : Flush Bracket, Belfast for an example.
- Cut bench marks are the commonest form of mark. They consist of a horizontal bar cut into a wall or brickwork and are found just about anywhere. A broad arrow is cut immediately below the centre of the horizontal bar. See J3372 : Bench Mark, Belfast for an example. The horizontal mark may be replaced by or contain a bolt - see J1486 : Bench Mark, Antrim.
Other marks include:
- Projecting bench marks such as SD8072 : Projecting Bracket Benchmark on St Oswald's Tower
- Bolt bench marks such as SJ1888 : OSBM bolt on Hilbre Island
- Rivet bench marks such as J3978 : Bench Mark, Holywood
- Pivot bench marks such as SJ2661 : Pivot bench mark on Leeswood Bridge

Bench marks are commonly found on older buildings or other semi-permanent features such as stone bridges or walls. Due to updated mapping techniques and technological advances such as GPS, bench marks are no longer maintained. Many are still in existence and the markers will probably remain until they are eventually destroyed by redevelopment or erosion.

St Nicholas' church, Cottesmore

Grade II*listed
The church dates from the 12th century onwards.
There is a western tower with spire, nave with aisles and clerestory, chancel, vestry, and south porch.
The tower dates from the late 13th century and is topped with a broach spire with lucarnes. The broaches rise particularly high up the spire, and the lucarnes are arranged in the same faces, rather than alternating. It is 99 feet tall.
A ring of six bells dates from 1598.
The nave has three bays to the north and four to the south, and dates from the 14th century.
Some masonry in the north aisle arcade follows the line of the original north wall of the nave.
The clerestory was added later, the line of the old roof being visible inside.
The chancel is probably older but rebuilt in the 15th C. with perpendicular windows, the east window has stained-glass from circa 1890.
The south porch was built in 1851 and originally had a priest's room over.
The south door is Norman with zigzag patterning.
There is a font with a base from circa 1200 and a later octagonal bowl.
The pulpit is 17th century with finely carved strapwork panels. In the south aisle there is a large inscribed slab, dated 1597 which apparently covers a vault.
Originally there was a gallery and organ at the west end of the nave, but these were removed in 1866.
The east part of the north aisle has been sectioned off as an RAF Memorial Chapel. It was dedicated in 1949.

There are plans to create a meeting room in the north-west corner of the church.

There is a comprehensive description of the church in the Victoria County History for Rutland LinkExternal link

(Further information thanks to Alan Murray-Rust)


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Alan Murray-Rust and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Construction, Development Building Material: Limestone other tags: Bench Mark Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · St Nicholas' Church [23] · Bench Mark [6] Other Photos: · Church of St Nicholas, Cottesmore ·
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SK9013, 168 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Alan Murray-Rust   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Tuesday, 19 January, 2016   (more nearby)
Submitted
Friday, 22 January, 2016
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SK 9023 1362 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:42.7637N 0:39.9475W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SK 9023 1362
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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