OR/13/015 Synthesis: Difference between revisions

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No currently active UK quarries produce dark grey granite; an overseas supplier may be able to supply a close-matching stone.
No currently active UK quarries produce dark grey granite; an overseas supplier may be able to supply a close-matching stone.
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'''Granite 3'''<br>
'''Granite 3'''<br>
This relatively coarse, greyish-pink granite has been recorded in three buildings, in all of which it is present as a base course. The stone is almost certainly Peterhead granite from one of the quarries in the Silurian age Peterhead Granite Pluton in Aberdeenshire. At least one quarry in the Peterhead pluton is still active.
This relatively coarse, greyish-pink granite has been recorded in three buildings, in all of which it is present as a base course. The stone is almost certainly Peterhead granite from one of the quarries in the Silurian age Peterhead Granite Pluton in Aberdeenshire. At least one quarry in the Peterhead pluton is still active.

Revision as of 11:14, 24 August 2021

Gillespie, M R, Everett, P A, Albornoz-Parra, L J, and Tracey, E A. 2013. A survey of building stone and roofing slate in Falkirk town centre. Nottingham, UK, British geological Survey. (OR/13/015).

Information derived from the survey, the assessment of building stone quarries, and the stone matching exercise is summarised below for all the building stones and roofing slates recorded in the Falkirk THI area.

Buff sandstone 1
This is the ‘local’ Falkirk stone, and is the most commonly recorded and most widely used building stone in the THI area. The stone is relatively coarse, buff sandstone displaying a range of primary sedimentary structures, including parallel bedding, cross-bedding, laminated foresets, and wispy lamination. The stone was sourced from several quarries to the south of Falkirk, including Bantaskine, Brightons, Callendar Park, Maddiston and Lathallan quarries. All these quarries exploited the Scottish Lower Coal Measures Formation. The stone has been recorded in thirty-six buildings clustered mainly in Cow Wynd, Manor Street and at the east end of High Street. The stone was used in vernacular buildings in the late 17th Century and for more prestigious buildings (e.g. Burgh Buildings, former YMCA, and The Steeple) in the late 19th Century. The stone is commonly concealed beneath a coating of paint and/or harling in older buildings.

A sample of stone from Viewfield pit (one of the Bantaskine quarries) displays many of the characteristics of ‘Buff sandstone 1’ in surveyed buildings. The Bantaskine quarries are located on public land, and stone is still exposed in several of the quarries. Further work here could establish if it might be feasible to extract small volumes of stone for future building repair and restoration projects.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 1’ are:

  • Blagdon sandstone
  • Drumhead Buff sandstone (laminated variant)
  • Blaxter’s Northumberland Buff sandstone
  • Bearl sandstone


Buff sandstone 2
This stone was rarely visible at ground level but is characterised by a generally uniform texture and absence of distinctive features. The stone was probably sourced from quarries in the Upper Limestone Formation located between Denny and Stirling. The stone has been recorded in twelve buildings, all of which appear to be of late Victorian age and are situated in the northern part of the THI area, on Vicar Street, Melville Street, and Newmarket Street.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 2’ are:

  • Dunhouse Buff sandstone
  • Witton Fell sandstone
  • Drumhead Buff sandstone (uniform variant)
  • Prudham sandstone
  • Stainton sandstone


Buff sandstone 3
This stone is characterised by a typically very light buff colour and relatively fine grain size. The stone was recorded in just three buildings, all of which were constructed to be relatively prestigious and to be used for commerce. The buildings were constructed at quite different times and this, combined with subtle differences between the stone in each building, may indicate the stone for each building was sourced from a different quarry.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 3’ are:

  • Hazeldean sandstone
  • Darney White sandstone
  • Cullalo sandstone
  • Drumhead sandstone (white variant)


Buff sandstone 4
This sandstone is relatively coarse, micaceous and has occasional coloured bands (‘Liesegang bands). The stone has been recorded in fourteen buildings, which all appear to be of late Victorian age and are situated in the northern part of the THI survey area, on Vicar Street, Melville Street, and Newmarket Street. The stone is likely to have been sourced from quarries in the Upper Limestone Formation between Denny and Stirling.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 4’ are:

  • Prudham sandstone
  • Dunhouse Buff sandstone
  • Drumhead Buff sandstone
  • Witton Fell sandstone
  • Stainton sandstone
  • Darney Cream sandstone


Buff sandstone 5
This sandstone is light brownish buff and has a strongly micaceous and speckled character. The stone was recorded in four buildings, all of which were constructed between 1909 and 1914. The characteristics of the stone are not diagnostic: it could have been sourced from the Carboniferous successions in the Central Belt of Scotland (Stirlingshire or West Lothian) or from northern England; the closest-matching stones in the BGS rock collections are from Northumberland.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 5’ are:

  • Darney Cream sandstone
  • High Nick sandstone
  • Hazeldean sandstone
  • Alnwick
  • Moor sandstone


Buff sandstone 6
This stone is characterised by a dull yellow colour, high clay content and generally uniform appearance. The stone was recorded in three buildings on Williamson Street and Manor Street. The stone is of relatively poor quality, and face-bedded masonry blocks are suffering from stone decay. The stone is likely to come from a relatively local source, probably one or more quarries in the Passage Formation or Scottish Lower Coal Measures Formation.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 6’ are:

  • Blaxter sandstone
  • Prudham sandstone
  • Blaxter’s Northumberland Buff sandstone
  • Swinton sandstone


Buff sandstone 7
This sandstone is characterised by a dull yellowish buff colour and coarse-grained, gritty and siliceous character. The stone has been recorded in three buildings, in all of which it has been used only in dressings. The stone was probably sourced from a quarry in the Passage Formation (or possibly the Scottish Lower Coal Measures Formation) in the Falkirk area.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Buff sandstone 7’ are:

  • Fletcher Bank Buff sandstone
  • Lingberry sandstone
  • Naylor’s Hill Buff Gritstone
  • Witton Fell Coarse Grit


Modern buff sandstone 1
This sandstone is characterised by an even buff colour and uniform appearance. The stone has been recorded in four buildings; it has been used to make selective repairs (indents) to original masonry (e.g. in Tattie Kirk), and to construct a new shop front at ground floor level of the building at the north-west corner of Vicar Street and Lower Newmarket Street. Stanton Moor quarry in the Millstone Grit Group of Derbyshire (or another quarry in the same area that produced very similar stone) has been identified as the most likely source.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 1’ are:

  • Stanton Moor sandstone
  • Peakmoor sandstone (non-gritty variety)
  • Millknock sandstone
  • Birchover Buff sandstone


Modern buff sandstone 2
This dull greyish buff and weakly gritty stone has been recorded in just two buildings; it has been used to make selective repairs (indents) in one building, and comprises the whole of a substantial addition to Fa’ Kirk. The stone was sourced from Derbyshire, probably from Stoke Hall quarry or Peakmoor quarry, both of which extract stone from the Millstone Grit Group.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 2’ are:

  • Stoke Hall sandstone
  • Peakmoor sandstone (coarse variety)


Modern buff sandstone 3
This stone has a uniform character and a range of distinctive features that are developed locally, including flakes of carbonaceous matter, iron nodules, Liesegang bands and coloured spots. The stone has been recorded in five buildings. It has been used to make selective repairs (indents) in pre-1900 buildings, and is the original building stone in several post-1931 buildings. The stone was probably sourced from the Millstone Grit Group in Northumberland.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 3’ are:

  • Dunhouse Buff sandstone
  • Blaxter sandstone
  • Stainton sandstone


Modern buff sandstone 4
This texturally uniform sandstone with occasional shell fragments has been recorded in three buildings. It is the original building stone in two modern buildings and has been used in thick cladding built around the two lowest levels of The Steeple. The new buildings and cladding have probably been constructed since c. 1980. The stone was almost certainly sourced from Crossland Hill quarry in the Millstone Grit Group of Yorkshire.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 4’ are:

  • Crossland Hill sandstone
  • Peakmoor sandstone
  • Stanton Moor sandstone


Modern buff sandstone 5
This stone is dark buff to buff, essentially uniform, and contains aligned flakes of carbonaceous matter and mica. The stone has been used to make selective repairs (indents) in four buildings. The stone has been quarried from Carboniferous strata, but the original quarry source and geographical location have not been identified. Some of the indented blocks appear to be moderately weathered, and the stone may be amongst the earliest of the ‘modern’ buff sandstones used in the THI area.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 5’ are:

  • Dovedale sandstone
  • Millknock sandstone


Modern buff sandstone 6
This relatively coarse sandstone displays a range of primary sedimentary structures, including parallel bedding, cross-bedding, laminated foresets, and wispy lamination, and in this respect is similar to ‘Buff sandstone 1’ (the local Falkirk stone). The stone has been recorded in three adjacent buildings, all on High Street; in each case the stone has been used to construct a modern shop spanning the ground floor level. The stone was probably sourced from a quarry in the Millstone Grit Group in Derbyshire.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Modern buff sandstone 6’ are:

  • Stanton Moor sandstone
  • Peakmoor sandstone
  • Birchover sandstone


Orange sandstone 1
This medium-grained, orange sandstone is characterised by regular parallel lamination and a finely speckled character. The stone has been recorded in three buildings; in two of these (dated 1896 and 1928) it forms the original building stone, and in the other it is a ‘modern’ repair. The stone was sourced from Locharbriggs quarry, which exploits Permian age Stewartry Group strata in Dumfriesshire. The quarry has been open since the 19th Century, and is the only building stone to have been used in both historic buildings and modern repairs in the THI area.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Orange sandstone 1’ are:

  • Locharbriggs sandstone
  • Corncockle sandstone


Orange sandstone 2
This fine-grained, orange sandstone is characterised by parallel bedding, cross bedding and parallel lamination. It is the original building stone in five buildings, all built between 1899 and 1927. The stone was sourced from Corsehill quarry and/or Cove quarry; both quarries produce almost identical stone from the Permian to Triassic age Sherwood Sandstone Group in Dumfriesshire. Both quarries are still open.

The closest-matching, currently available stones for ‘Orange sandstone 2’ are:

  • Corsehill sandstone
  • Cove sandstone


Limestone 1
Pale grey, shelly limestone was recorded in only one (probably mid-20th century) building in the THI area. The stone is Portland limestone. It was sourced from one of numerous quarries exploiting the Jurassic to Cretaceous age Purbeck Group strata on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset. The closest-matching, currently available stone for ‘Limestone 1’ is:

  • Portland Whitbed stone


Granite 1
This granite is grey, equigranular and has a weak foliation. It was recorded in only one structure: the plinth of the South African War memorial on Newmarket Street. The stone was probably sourced from the Ordovician age Kemnay Granite Pluton in Aberdeenshire.

The closest-matching, currently available stone for ‘Granite 1’ is:

  • Kemnay granite


Granite 2
This dark-grey, biotite-rich, foliated granite (or, more correctly, granodiorite) was recorded in only one building; it forms the base course of the Lloyds TSB building on the south-west corner of High Street and Cow Wynd. The features of this stone are common to a number of Scottish granites; quarries at Dalbeattie (in the Criffel Granite Pluton in Kirkudbrightshire) and Rubislaw (in the Aberdeen Granite Pluton) extracted large volumes of similar-looking stone.

No currently active UK quarries produce dark grey granite; an overseas supplier may be able to supply a close-matching stone.

Granite 3
This relatively coarse, greyish-pink granite has been recorded in three buildings, in all of which it is present as a base course. The stone is almost certainly Peterhead granite from one of the quarries in the Silurian age Peterhead Granite Pluton in Aberdeenshire. At least one quarry in the Peterhead pluton is still active.

The closest-matching, currently available stone for ‘Granite 3’ is:

  • Peterhead granite


Granite 4
This brownish pink, equigranular granite was recorded in only one building; it has been used to make decorative columns framing the main entrance to the Burgh Buildings. The stone may be Corrennie granite from the Corrennie Granite Pluton in Aberdeenshire or Ross of Mull granite from the Ross of Mull Granite Pluton on Mull. Both of these quarries extracted similar stone in large volumes in the past.

The closest-matching, currently available stone for ‘Granite 4’ is:

  • Corrennie granite