Assessing the potential for reopening a building stone quarry : Newbigging Sandstone Quarry, Fife

Newbigging Sandstone Quarry in Fife is one of a number of former quarries in the Burntisland- Aberdour district which exploited the pale-coloured Grange Sandstone from Lower Carboniferous rocks. The quarry supplied building stone from the late 19th century, working intermittently from 1914 until closure in 1937, and again when reopened in the 1970s to the 1990s. The stone was primarily used locally and to supply the nearby markets in the Scottish Central Belt. Historical evidence indicates that prior to sandstone extraction, the area was dominated by largescale quarrying and mining of limestone, and substantial sandstone quarrying is likely to have begun after the arrival of the main railway line in 1890. It is probable that removal of the sandstone was directly associated with limestone exploitation, and that the quarried sandstone was effectively a by-product of limestone production. Sandstone extraction was probably viable due to the existing limestone quarry infrastructure (workforce, equipment, transportation) and the high demand for building stone in Central Scotland in the late 19th century. The geology within Newbigging Sandstone Quarry is dominated by thick-bedded uniform sandstone with a wide joint spacing, well-suited for obtaining large blocks. However, a mudstone (shale) band is likely to be present within a few metres of the principal (north) face of the quarry, around which the sandstone bed thickness and quality is likely to decrease. The mudstone bed forms a plane sloping at a shallow angle to the north, so that expansion of the quarry in this direction is likely to encounter a considerable volume of poor quality stone. Additionally, an east-west trending fault is present approximately 100 metres north of the quarry face, which is also likely to be associated with poor quality (fractured) stone

Assessing the potential for reopening a building stone quarry : King's Quarry, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has been commissioned by the Scottish Stone Liaison Group to investigate the potential for reopening a number of former building stone sites from around Scotland under the project ‗Scottish Building Stone Resources‘. As part of this study, BGS was asked to undertake a general examination of the building stone resources at the King‘s Quarry, near Carronbridge, Thornhill in Dumfriesshire. The quarry lies within the Buccleuch Estates and is known to have had a long history of operation, having been active around the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, although likely to have produced stone since the 17th century. Today the quarry is periodically worked by the Buccleuch Group, on a small scale mostly for repairs and restoration of existing estate building in the district

The source of building stone for Westown Kirk, Perthshire : a geological and architectural investigation

BGS was asked by Andrew Driver on behalf of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust to assist with an investigation into the origin of the stone masonry in Westown Kirk (Figs. 1 & 2). Certain characteristics of the building and architectural detailing suggest that the masonry may have been reused from another building and transported from elsewhere. The purpose of this report is to document some of the unusual features of the masonry, and to characterise the stone type in order to attempt to identify its provenance. It is understood that no documentary evidence exists relating to the source of the stone used in the church

A building stone and slate survey of the Callander Conservation Area : recording, matching and sourcing for the built heritage

The town of Callander is the eastern gateway to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. This report describes the background to, and outcomes of, a survey of buildings and other structures comprised of natural stone and slate in the Callander Conservation Area (CCA). The survey was conducted by the Building Stones Team of the British Geological Survey (BGS), for the Scottish Stone Liaison Group. The survey data and other project outcomes will be used by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority to inform planning decisions, with a view to safeguarding the built heritage of the CCA. A total of 382 structures were surveyed between February and May 2010. With the exception of one bridge and two monuments, the surveyed structures consisted of residential, commercial, ecclesiastical and civic buildings. Survey data were recorded on hand-held PC tablets running the BGS ‗SIGMA‘ system for digital field data capture. A 'Building Stone Data Capture' module was designed specifically for the project. Data describing the character and condition of stone and slate were gathered for separate architectural elements (walling, dressings, and roofing) in each surveyed structure. A set of predetermined data fields guided and restricted the range of properties that could be recorded, and a set of supporting dictionaries (with definitions, where appropriate) restricted the range of terms that could be used to describe each property. The recorded data have been transferred to a set of data files that can be interrogated independently or used within a GIS application. The survey methodology is described, and details of the database hierarchy and supporting dictionaries are presented. The main outcomes of the survey, in terms of the range of stone and slate types used in surveyed structures, their distribution in the CCA and current condition, are described. Four masonry styles (i.e. particular combinations of stone type, block size/shape/tooling and coursing used in the main architectural elements of a building) are recognised in the CCA, each reflecting the available building materials, architectural tastes and masonry skills of the time. The main changes in masonry style can be linked to events affecting the availability of materials, in particular the opening of quarries in the local area (providing a reliable but restricted source of local building stone), the arrival of the railway (bringing a variety of stone and slate types from other parts of the UK), and the impact of the First World War (associated with a rapid decline in the number of operational building stone quarries in the UK, and a shift to ‗modern‘, manmade building materials). Three of the most important stone types used in Callander buildings - conglomerate (Callander puddingstone), and two types of flagstone - were sourced locally, from three long-disused quarries in wooded slopes north of the town centre. These quarries are overgrown and neglected, but they are not filled or flooded. They represent the most obvious sources of matching stone for these stone types, to be used in future repairs to existing buildings and new-build constructions. If re-opening these quarries proves impractical, sites for potential new quarries could be identified by examining ground along strike of the bedrock strata exploited by the original quarries. Three types of blonde to buff sandstone and four types of red sandstone are also recognised in Callander buildings. One of the red sandstone variants was probably sourced from one of the three local building stone quarries, but the other types of sandstone were imported from quarries in the Central Belt of Scotland, Dumfries & Galloway, and Northumberland. Potential matching stones are listed for each stone type, but this information is intended only to be a general guide; a formal stone matching exercise should be carried out whenever replacement stone is required. Scottish Highland Border slate and Welsh purple slate are by far the most commonly used roofing materials in the CCA, and have been used on approximately equal numbers of buildings. English (Cumbrian) slate and Spanish slate have been used on approximately equal numbers of buildings, but are much less common than Scottish and Welsh slate. The most serious causes of stone decay in the CCA are cement pointing and patchwork, face bedding, and failing rainwater goods. These are described, and best practice guidance for conservation and repair of affected buildings is provided. Slates that have moved out of correct position constitute the most important roofing condition issue in the CCA. A survey of stone condition in the 'Desirables' building, at 1-3 Main Street, is presented as a short, stand-alone report (in Appendix 3). The report is intended to be a template for future surveys of stone condition and maintenance issues in individual buildings

Safeguarding Glasgow's stone built heritage skills and materials requirements : facade surveys and building stone analysis

This report presents the results of a study commissioned by the Scottish Stone Liaison Group on behalf of Scottish Enterprise Glasgow (SEG). The work was undertaken in order to provide data on the quantities of replacement building stone and the amount of time and skills levels required for stone masons, for the repair and maintenance of the stone built heritage of the City of Glasgow over the next twenty years (2006 to 2026). The study was undertaken by the British Geological Survey, overseen by an external project director and guided by a project Steering Group appointed by the Scottish Stone Liaison Group. This study is Project B: ‘Buildings Health Check’, forming part of the project ‘Safeguarding Glasgow’s Stone Built Heritage: Skills and Materials Requirements’. The project is funded by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, with contributions by Glasgow City Council, The work has involved the survey of the facades of over 230 traditional stone buildings and monuments in Glasgow in order to assess the amount, type and severity of stone decay. In order to do this, a methodology was developed which involved the use of rectified digital images overlaid with measured areas of different stone decay categories. Calculation of stone quantities and stonemason requirements was undertaken by an external consultant appointed by the Steering Group. A range of buildings of different type, facade orientation, stone type and from different parts of the city were included in order to ensure that the sample of surveyed buildings is representative of Glasgow’s stone heritage

A building stone audit for Kilmarnock : surveying, matching, and sourcing stone for the built heritage

Surveys of the condition of the stone masonry in twenty-five buildings and structures in the John Finnie and Bank Street Conservation Area in Kilmarnock have provided information to guide forthcoming grant-aided repairs and inform future maintenance strategies. Stone samples from each surveyed structure have been characterised in order to identify the original stone types, and are matched to stone from currently active quarries to ensure that appropriate stone is used for the repairs. Kilmarnock’s historic stone buildings directly reflect the local geology, providing a strong ‘sense of place’. The changing use of stone through time has contributed to the evolution of architectural styles that document different stages in the town’s history. The earliest buildings and structures used locally-sourced blonde sandstone with whinstone, probably obtained from nearby surface outcrops and boulders. Subsequently, better quality blonde sandstone was obtained from several town quarries, notably Dean Quarry which provided large quantities of stone in the first half of the 19th century. Once connected to the wider railway network, red sandstone was imported from the Mauchline area, providing higher quality stone that enabled a more ambitious architecture in the second half of the 19th century, reflecting the increasing prosperity of the town. Although red sandstone dominated from this time, a few notable buildings used imported blonde freestone for high quality ashlar and decorative work. The condition surveys show that the principal reason for damage to stone is water penetration, leading to surface soiling (biogenic growth) and scaling of the masonry surface. A major cause of water penetration is lack of maintenance, in particular failing rainwater goods. Much of the damage is associated with exposed and projecting masonry elements such as cornices, string courses and sills, which require repair or replacement in order to protect the adjacent masonry and ensure long-term survival of the stonework. The use of de-icing salts on roads and pavements has caused considerable salt contamination to masonry at ground level resulting in disaggregation of stone. Damage due to previous stonecleaning has caused loss of masonry details, significantly degrading the appearance of several buildings. Today all of the original stone quarries that supplied Kilmarnock are closed. Petrographic analysis of the masonry samples has identified the closest matching stone types from currently available quarries throughout the UK. The best way of ensuring compatible stone is to reopen the original quarries. Most of the original quarry sites cannot be reopened, so areas of adjacent geology have been identified which could provide sites for the renewed production of stone. The results from this study are intended to guide the repair of masonry and ensure that appropriate replacement stone is selected for repairs, as well as highlighting the importance of maintenance. This information is relevant to other buildings in Kilmarnock and the surrounding district, as well as the wider Central Scotland area. The reopening of stone quarries would provide a sustainable source of appropriate stone to ensure the conservation of the built heritage in Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire

A desktop resource assessment of building stone and slate on the Island of Bute

Bute has a varied geology, resulting from the presence of the Highland Boundary Fault which crosses the island and brings metamorphic rocks of the Scottish Highlands into contact with Devonian and Carboniferous sedimentary rocks of the Central Belt. The island also has abundant igneous intrusions of various generations, mostly fine-grained, dark basaltic rocks. This diverse geology is reflected in buildings across the island which used local stone and slate, bringing a distinctive character to the built heritage of Bute. Over sixty stone quarries are recorded on Bute. Most of these exploited igneous rock, likely to have been used for roadstone. Large-scale production of building stone was probably limited to Rothesay, where an igneous intrusion at Longhill Quarry provided block for buildings in the town. This ‘greenstone’ was used extensively in buildings up to the mid to late 19th century, when imported sandstone became increasingly used. In rural areas, buildings were typically constructed from the closest available stone type, obtained from any suitable outcrops or small quarries. Dressed stone, sourced from blonde and red sandstone, was also used for early buildings throughout Bute. These sandstones were probably obtained from unrecorded quarries in the Devonian and Carboniferous sediments of the S and E parts of the island