102 



BRISTOL BUILDING STONES. 



these cubes did not appear to bo weakened by tlio process. 



One of them gave, indeed, a resistance above the average. 

 Jurassic sandstone from Yorkshire has, Mr. Brock informs 



mo, been occasionally used in Bristol, the largest job being 



Bristol Bridge, the stone for whicli came fi'om Whitby — the 

 Aislaby quarries, I presume. This is the rock that was used 

 for building Whitby Abbey. It is of a light-brown colour 

 and moderately fine grain, the cubic foot weighing 12Gf 

 pounds. 



Of rooks which fall within the class of limestones, Oolites 

 (Bath, Dundry, and Doulting), Mountain Limestone, and 

 Blue Lias are in use. 



The building stones from the Lias are poor in quality, and 

 are seldom used for aught but common walling. The stone 

 is quarried at Hoi-field, Keynsham, Willsbridge, Saltford, 

 Knowle, Bedminster Down, and Harrow, but is not now used 

 to any great extent. The best beds are at Saltford, where 

 the stone is har'der a,rid bluer than at other quarries. The 

 side walls of the old Groat Western Railway Station at 

 Bristol arc built with this stone. The church at Whitchurch 

 is Lias, this material being frequently used locally. The 

 railway station at Keynsham is built with Keynsham stone, 

 which is also' banded in the church tower in that village, 



CD ' 



where it well exemplifies its tendency to decay. In the 

 church at WoKtbui-y there a-ro Lias iuid lociil Dolornitic Oon- 

 glomerato courses, both of which have weathered back 

 d(^eper than the freestone dressings. " Where the late Bristol 

 and I<]xoter Railway, now (Jroat Western Railway, pass<!S 

 under the Bath, road, there are some piers built with Lias 

 which, though well selected and well laid, are rapidly decay- 

 ing " (W. Brock). In fact, it matters not where you go, 

 wherever Lias has been used, there will you find the abundant 

 signs of rapid decay. 



