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Local Name(s): |
Ancaster Rag, Ancaster Weatherbed. |
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Stone Group: | Sedimentary | ||||||
Stone Type: | Limestone | ||||||
Geology: |
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Geological Sub-Divisons: | Inferior Oolite Group, Upper Lincolnshire Limestone Formation. |
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General Colour Description: | Colour varies from cream to brownish yellow (due to oxide of iron staining) and through to a blue/grey colour. The stone can be mottled and/or flecked. |
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Hand Specimen Description: | A medium grained, hard, shelly limestone containing ooliths and small rolled gastropods, it may be pistolitic in places (Ashurst & Dimes 1990: 103). It is moderately well sorted with a hackly feel. Several beds are important, the upper 'Red Weatherbed' commonly reddened in colour and the lower 'Brown Weatherbed' which is a warm brown colour. Both stones are coarsely shelly and hard wearing and take an excellent polish. In quarry sections they can be strongly cross-bedded. In colour the beds of the Weatherbed sequence can vary and often show a lenticular core of blue grey limestone (often known as 'blue hearted') (Purcell 1967). |
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General Comments: | This is the hardest of the Ancaster stones. |
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Stone Identifiers: | Calcareous,  Fossiliferous,  Oolitic. | ||||||
Reacts dilute to HCl? | Yes |