BUILDING STONES. 295 
cessful, have been made to apply the Hasler stone to lithography. 
It is well adapted for the lithographic ink, but is not suited for 
crayons."* 
Some of the Lower Lias limestones at Queen Camel, near 
Sparkford, have yielded thin stone-tiles that were used for roofing ; 
and beds near Burley Dam in Shropshire were at one time 
quarried for similar purposes. (See p. 181.) 
The Marlstone Rock-bed in Somersetshire is used for rough 
building-purposes, but the beds as a rule are too thin in this region 
to be of much service except as road-metal. The development of 
rock-beds is indeed uncertain. Here and there in Gloucestershire, 
as at Stinchcombe and Dursley, the stone-beds are quarried for 
rough building-purposes (walls, &c.). The beds are also locally 
used for building-stone in various parts of Northamptonshire and 
in Rutlandshire. 
The best of the Lias building-stones is that obtained from the 
Middle Lias of Edge Hill, known generally as the Hornton Stone. 
In this neighbourhood it is extensively quarried, and the green 
and brown varieties form a pleasing contrast in the buildings : the 
Catherine Wheel Inn, and the door-way of the Mechanics' 
Institute, at Banbury are good examples of the material. This 
stone was used in most of the old churches and buildings of the 
district, and when well-selected it has proved a fairly durable 
material. Much of the stone however does not appear fitted to 
withstand great weights, being apt to crack and thus to be more 
readily acted upon by the weather. As a rule the corner stones 
of the better class of buildings are formed of Oolitic freestone. 
Not only are blocks of the Hornton Stone obtained for building- 
purposes, but slabs are dressed for paving ; and stone-steps, sinks, 
and tomb-stones are made. 
Thin flaggy beds in the Marlstone at Chacombe near Banbury 
have been employed as stone-tiles. A dark stone from Byfield 
(probably Marlstone), was formerly worked and cut into squares 
for paving halls.f 
It is noticeable that the best building-stone in the Marlstono 
occurs where the beds have no covering of Upper Lias clay. 
The fact that the brown weathered portions of the Marlstone 
are generally employed for building in preference to the green 
unweathered rock, has been commented upon by Mr. Beeby 
Thompson. It is true that the brown rock is more easily worked ; 
but the green rock not having undergone those chemical changes 
produced by atmospheric influences, he considers that the naturally 
seasoned rock is more likely to prove durable. J This is likewise 
the case with many of the Oolitic freestones. 
Local Names of Stone-beds. 
In most Lias quarries the limestone-bands have different names 
applied to them by the quarrymen. Most of these are given from 
* Memoirs of H. E. Strickland, p. 84. 
f J. Morton, Nat. Hist. Northamptonshire, 1505, pp. 108, 126. 
J Middle Lias of Northamptonshire, p. 67. 
