Building Stones in Kent

About the event

Britain has a rich and varied bedrock geology and this is reflected in the diversity of our stone-built heritage, adding colour and texture to our regional landscapes. It can equally be said that many of our local stone structures, such as churches, castles and cathedrals define the character of Kent.

A number of Kent’s iconic buildings are constructed from stones that reflect the local geology; these stones can add a certain distinctiveness to our local towns and villages and notably to our older buildings. More modern constructions often make use of stone procured from distant parts of Britain and sometimes from abroad.

The course will be delivered using a PowerPoint presentation. The focus of the day will be on the geology of building stones, with numerous architectural and historic references. There will be opportunities to inspect a range of geological hand specimens and we shall consider the different attributes of a range of sedimentary rocks.

Morning: Session 1

The morning shall be spent with an introduction to building stones, their importance geologically and to our built heritage. Sources of information shall be considered including maps and a brief look at digital resources available online. 

We shall consider a number of important questions when considering the stones used in construction, including:

• Where are building stones in Kent sourced from? 
• What qualities in a rock makes for a good (or bad!) building stone? 
• How does a rock get from below ground and into a building?
• What technological changes have there been in the building stone industry over the centuries? 

Afternoon: Session 2

We shall next investigate the use of building stone in Kent from a historical perspective. At first stone was sourced locally, but over time stone was procured from ever more distant quarries. We shall look in detail at representative examples of rock types that have been used for construction and decoration in Kent from Roman times to the modern day.

The knowledge and skills gained during the day should help attendees understand the choice of building stone used in their local towns and villages at different points in historical time. An appreciation of where the material has been sourced from will also be gained and how the stone has been transported from quarry to building site.

This course is for anyone interested in buildings and building stones and is suitable for beginners.  

Led by Geoff Downer, Geologist