Stone in Archaeology Database

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Inferior Oolite Group. Upper Lincolnshire Limestone Formation.

Pale brown to cream/buff colour.

A medium grained, hard, oolitic limestone with variable amounts of shell fragments. It is frequently poorly sorted with a hackly fracture. There are at least three varieties of Weldon stone, the Lower Bed known as 'Fine Bed' (a fine-grained, even textured freestone) used for building purposes and carved work. The Upper Bed, a more shelly 'Coarse Bed' which is generally shelly and has voids, and the 'Hard Rag' which occurs intermittently through the beds and is used for walling, being strong and durable (Ashurst & Dimes 1990: 104). A further bed known as 'Weldon Marble' can often be seen which is a blue shelly ragstone which can be polished and sometimes used for fireplaces, floors and even monuments).

Hudson & Sutherland (1990: 23), describe Weldon stone as a shelly limestone with cross lamination often visible, and defined by oyster-rich layers. The ooliths are less than 1mm in size and the shell fragments (mostly oysters) are about 3 -5 mm in length these occur as layers in the rock. The stone is porous with a little cement (ibid.).