Portland (natural stone)
Portland stone is a limestone from the Jurassic . It is mined in quarries on the Isle of Portland . The rock was mostly used for reconstruction in Great Britain , especially after the great fire in London . It was also exported to many countries (e.g. the rock was also used to build the UN headquarters in New York).
Quarries
Portland natural stone is quarried in three large quarries. In the base bed and whitbed , the rock is finely structured and contains only a few fossils . That is why it is used for higher quality work. From the Roach bed quarry comes coarser rock with many fossils. This was also used, for example, for the famous harbor wall The Cobb in Lyme Regis .
use
Many famous buildings in London, such as St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace, are made of Portland limestone . Many grave stones of British soldiers in the First or Second World War died were made of Portland stone.
Other monuments and buildings made of Portland stone are for example
- the cenotaph in Whitehall , London
- the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London
- the Bush House in London
- the Cunard Building in Liverpool
