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| Home
/ History
/ Portland
and Weymouth / Portland's Deep Sea Harbour |
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| Portland Stone |
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| Source: Various (please see
Site Credits) |
Click any picture to enlarge
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| Convicts working in the quarries |
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The Portland harbour, breakwater and fortifications
constituted one of the great engineering constructions of
the 19th century.
This project was the most massive undertaking
using Portland Stone.
Portland Stone has been quarried for local
use for centuries. An early reference to stone being used
outside the area comes in 1300 when it is recorded that stone
was purchased for 10 shillings for Exeter Cathedral. It was,
however, in the 17th and early 18th Centuries that Portland
Stone achieved national and, subsequently, international fame
when it was used by Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher Wren for
buildings in the City of London.
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| Wren in particular
was responsible for popularizing the use of Portland Stone.
Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, he used it extensively
to rebuild London's churches. Inside St Paul's Cathedral, his
greatest work, it is written of him - si monumentum requiris,
circumspice - if you seek his memorial look around you.
The fine white building stone known as 'Portland Stone'
is an Oolitic Limestone that came into existence about 160/200
million years ago. The Limestone was formed in a warm sea, rich
in carbonate secreting organisms. As the small, shelly, creatures
died their remains sank to the bottom creating a sedimentary
bed which over time became Limestone. |
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| Quarrymen |
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| Over the years, the
quarrymen, who operated in gangs or crews, gradually became
businesslike, and eventually small companies were formed. In
1908, following some acquisitions on Portland, the Bath Stone
Firms Ltd - which had been established in 1887- changed its
name to The Bath and Portland Stone Firms Ltd. The Company has
survived, diversified and grown. In 1985 it was acquired by
Consolidated Goldfields and its interests merged into ARC. Today,
the Company owns, shares or leases approximately 625 of the
2350 acres of the Portland Quarries. |
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| Convicts dressing stone |
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| Convicts marching out |
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| Convicts working a Quarry |
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© Copyright 2003 · Cyberport Project Ltd · All Rights Reserved · Site design by CoDesign |
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