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Thanks to all who replied to this! I’m pleased to say there was agreement on the Purbeck origin of the stone and my historic sites colleague with her contractor are seeking a supplier of a similar material in Dorset. Cheers Alan From: Jon Radley [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 18 April 2015 09:35 To: Howell, Alan Cc: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Building stone ID It does look very much like a Neomiodon biosparite - typical of the Middle and Upper Purbeck Beds in the traditional sense. Jon Jon Radley Curator of Natural Sciences Heritage & Culture Warwickshire (HCW) Localities & Community Safety Warwickshire County Council T: 01926 418182 Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Visit our website heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk<http://heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk/>, Web: Warwickshire Museum Service<http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/museum> Twitter: Oisin The Deer<http://twitter.com/#!/OisinTheDeer> Facebook: Warwickshire Museums<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Warwickshire-Museum/162862257067815> Sign up to our regular Heritage and Culture Warwickshire e-newsletter here.<http://eepurl.com/Bbns5> On 17 April 2015 at 12:45, Howell, Alan <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: A nice Friday afternoon puzzle for you all! I wonder if any of you are able to help with identifying the stone in the attached image? It formed part of a drip moulding above a carved stone Elizabethan armorial over the entrance to Castle Cornet, here in Guernsey. The ‘drip moulding’ itself was clearly unsuited to the task in the long term as it had weathered very badly on the external edge. Given the nature of the limestone I’m not sure that replacing like for like on the historic building is ultimately the best idea (not my call, fortunately!) but it would be nice to know where the stone originated anyway. The armorial itself is carved in what appears to be Purbeck Marble (full of Viviparus) and that doubtless explains why it is also very badly weathered – 400+ years on an exterior coastal wall would not be an ideal survival location for a Purbeck Marble sculpture! I hadn’t twigged its identity (it’s high on a wall) until I saw a close up photo of the cleaned stone recently but the delaminated edge of the ‘drip moulding’ above it had suggested Purbeck to me some years ago. I still fancy a Purbeck origin for this stone but I don’t know enough about other lithologies, apart from the well-known marble. I seem to remember that the yellowed surface ‘crust’ is fairly typical of the group and clearly this is full of organic laminations which might perhaps be of vegetable origin? Any ideas would be most welcome! Cheers Alan Alan Howell Curator Advisor (Natural History) DDI +44 (0) 1481 709736<tel:%2B44%20%280%29%201481%20709736> This e-mail (including attachments) may contain sensitive and/or privileged information. If received in error, its use by you is not authorised and may be unlawful. Please notify the sender and delete all copies immediately. E-mails may be subject to error, interference and virus and no liability is accepted for loss or damage however it arises and whether direct or indirect. Service of legal proceedings by e-mail may not be accepted. E-mails may be monitored for compliance purposes. All documents are subject to copyright. This transmission is intended for the named addressee(s) only and may contain confidential, sensitive or personal information and should be handled accordingly. Unless you are the named addressee (or authorised to receive it for the addressee) you may not copy or use it, or disclose it to anyone else. If you have received this transmission in error please notify the sender immediately. All email traffic sent to or from us, including without limitation all GCSX traffic, may be subject to recording and/or monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation. This e-mail (including attachments) may contain sensitive and/or privileged information. If received in error, its use by you is not authorised and may be unlawful. Please notify the sender and delete all copies immediately. E-mails may be subject to error, interference and virus and no liability is accepted for loss or damage however it arises and whether direct or indirect. Service of legal proceedings by e-mail may not be accepted. E-mails may be monitored for compliance purposes. All documents are subject to copyright.