17 Facts About Portland stone

Portland Stone or Portland Stone Formation is a limestone formation from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England.

The degree of cementation in Portland stone is such that the stone is sufficiently well cemented to allow it to resist weathering, but not so well cemented that it can't be readily worked by masons.

Wren's choice of Portland for the new St Paul's Cathedral was a great boost for the quarries and established Portland as London's choice of building stone.

High Wall Extraction is a series of small mines that extract otherwise wasted Portland stone that sits between the final faces of the quarry and the actual boundary of the site.

The majority of buildings in London today use Portland stone which has been quarried using the same methods over the last 60 years.

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The mine is advanced by extracting the Portland stone using an abrasive tool chain cutter mounted on a machine.

The first known Portland stone quarries were situated on the northeastern coast of the Isle, close to Rufus Castle, where huge landslips made the stone more easily accessible, and the proximity of the sea allowed the quarried stone blocks to be moved over relatively large distances by barge.

Portland stone was used to build the Palace of Westminster in 1347, the Tower of London in 1349 and the first stone London Bridge in 1350.

Wren's widespread use of Portland stone firmly established it as London's "local stone" and as one of the best-loved British building stones.

Portland stone was used in 1923 to build the supporting pillar of the Grace Gates at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Recently, Portland Stone has been used in the building of Chelsea Barracks, Wilkins Terrace at UCL University College London, St James's Market Haymarket, London and Green Park tube station.

Portland stone is prevalent in Manchester despite the historical preferred use of hard-wearing materials, such as Burmantofts and sandstone to resist the harsh industrial environment.

Manchester buildings with Portland stone exterior include 100 King Street, Arkwright House, St James Buildings, Manchester Central Library, Kendal Milne and Sunlight House .

Nottingham Council House, completed in 1929, is built with Portland stone, as are the public buildings in Cardiff's civic centre.

Many of the buildings surrounding the flagship Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds are clad in Portland stone, including the Michael Sadler Building, the Chemistry and Engineering buildings and the new Laidlaw Library.

Portland stone was used for the Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, England.

Portland stone is recognised to be of a high quality, but is somewhat expensive.