Stoke Ground Base Bed, Stoke Ground Top Bed
<NOTE: CONTENTS ARE BETA VERSION – SUBJECT TO FACT CHECK AND VERIFICATION>
Geological Age Range and Lithological Description
The Stoke Ground Base Bed and Stoke Ground Top Bed are part of the Middle Jurassic Inferior Oolite formation. The formation spans the Bajocian and Bathonian stages of the Jurassic Period, with an estimated age range of approximately 168 to 166 million years ago.
The Inferior Oolite Formation is characterised by the presence of small, rounded, spheroidal grains called ooids, which are cemented together by calcium carbonate. The Stoke Ground Base Bed and Stoke Ground Top Bed are both composed of these oolitic limestones, which can vary in colour from beige to pale yellow. The Base Bed is slightly coarser-grained, with fewer ooids than the Top Bed.
Thickness and Geographical Limits
The Inferior Oolite Formation is a relatively thin sequence of rocks, with the Stoke Ground Base Bed and Top Bed together averaging around 2-3 metres in thickness. The formation extends across much of the Cotswold area, including parts of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Alternative Names
The Stoke Ground Base Bed and Stoke Ground Top Bed are also known as the Stoke Ground Limestone, and are part of the wider Inferior Oolite Formation. In some older publications, they may be referred to as the Lower and Upper Limestone respectively.
Stone Name | Locality for past extraction of this stone (from Building Stones of England English Heritage – excel file) |
Stoke Ground | Wiltshire Buildings (https://historicengland.org.uk/content/docs/advice/building-stones-england/bse-excel-west-wiltshire/); |
Building using this stone (from Building Stones of England English Heritage – excel file) | |
Stoke Ground | Wiltshire Buildings (https://historicengland.org.uk/content/docs/advice/building-stones-england/bse-excel-west-wiltshire/); |
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<stone name> | ||
Reference | A9 | A10 |
NAME | Stoke Ground Base Bed | Stoke Ground Top Bed |
TYPE | Limestone | Limestone |
GEOLOGY | Jurassic. Great Oolite | Jurassic. Great Oolite |
COUNTY | Avon | Avon |
COLOUR | Cream/buff | Cream/buff |
TEXTURE | Medium grained oolite with shell fragments. Slightly open texture | Fine grained oolite |
BLOCK SIZE LXBXH (mm) | 3500x1500x1000mm | 3500x1200x1600mm |
SUITABILITY | Ashlar, cladding and weathering courses | Ashlar, cladding and carving |
USES (1) | Hampton Court Palace, London | Liverpool Street Station, London |
USES (2) | Lambeth Palace, London | Hampton Court, London |
USES (3) | Richmond Terrace, London | Merton College, Oxford |
USES (4) | British Petroleum HQ, Hemel Hempstead | |
Stone Names | Bath Stone | Bath Stone |