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Marble and Granite

Building Granite Stones of the United Kingdom

Granite Stone is a material of variety, nuance and unrivalled durability. Used appropriately and with regard to its nature it can enhance the architectural style of a building and last thousands of years. Geological Consultant, Francis Dimes outlines the geological characteristics of the material and the principles of its selection for use in conservation and restoration work.

Granite, the most widely used igneous rock in Great Britain, was chosen by Edwin Lutyens for his masterly tour de force of Castle Drogo, Devon. It was quarried nearby

Often considered the aristocrat of building materials, stone is arguably the traditional building material of Great Britain. Stonehenge, of a quartzitic sandstone known as sarsen, dates back to about 1800 BC - an enduring testament to its durability. Yet this was a relatively late arrival when compared with the magnificent limestone temples of Malta which date back to before 4000 BC, or the stone-built houses near Jericho, constructed in about 6000 BC.

Any rock, anywhere, has been used for building if only on a restricted local scale. A study of the geological map of Great Britain shows that the country has a great variety of rocks. But not every rock may be used successfully. Thought must be given to its weathering properties and to its nature, which may allow the rock to be worked to a fine surface and detail. It follows that some knowledge of the local geology will be of help in understanding the relationship of a building, the country in which it stands and the stone of which it is built.

Any stone can be placed geologically (and thus scientifically) into one of three groups. Only when the nature of the rocks in these groups is known can the stone be properly used.