Portland Stone
Portland Stone is
limestone from the
Jurassic period
quarried on the
Isle of Portland,
Dorset. It is well known and has been extensively used thoughout the
UK, notably in the rebuilding of London after the
Great Fire. It's also been exported to various countries, and was used for the
United Nations building in
New York, for example.
Three main "Portland Beds" are quarried, producing a number of different stones. The Base and Whitbed beds are fine textured and contain few fossil remains, and so are popular for high quality work. The Roach bed is rougher with many fossils.
Also see