| P number: | P204922 |
|---|---|
| Old photograph number: | A04976 |
| Caption: | Suckthumb Quarry, Isle of Portand, Dorset. Looking north-east. |
| Description: | The Isle of Portland is the source of England's pre-eminent and most easily recognisable building stone, the white oolitic limestone known as Portland Stone. Suckthumb quarry is one of many quarries that have worked the stone since earliest times. All the quarries in the Isle of Portland work three principal limestone beds - the Basebed, Whitbed and Roach. One of the great difficulties encountered in quarrying this, or indeed any other building stone, is the disposal of the massive volumes of rubble waste that accompany the quarrying process. The image shows the contruction of massive stone benches, using Roach and other massive limestone blocks, to contain the finer waste materials. The limestone quarries of Portland Bill have been in operation since Roman times. The characteristic white limestones which have proved to be extremely durable, even in the most polluted of urban environments, can be found in important buildings in all major cities and most large towns in the United Kingdom. |
| Date taken: | Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 GMT 1930 |
| Photographer: | Rhodes, J. |
| Copyright statement: | Crown |
| X longitude/easting: | 369500 |
| Y latitude/northing: | 72500 |
| Coordinate reference system, ESPG code: | 27700 (OSGB 1936 / British National Grid) |
| Orientation: | Landscape |
| Size: | 363.94 KB; 1000 x 730 pixels; 85 x 62 mm (print at 300 DPI); 265 x 193 mm (screen at 96 DPI); |
| Average Rating: | Not yet rated |
| Categories: | Unsorted Images, Geoscience subjects/ Economic geology/ Quarries, Geoscience subjects/ Economic geology/ Building stones, limestone |
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