Purbeck Marble Facts for Kids

Purbeck Marble is a special type of limestone found in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England. It's called "marble" because it can be polished to a beautiful shine, even though it's not a true marble rock. This stone is full of fossils, mostly tiny snail shells! People have been digging it up and using it as a fancy building stone since at least Roman times.

What is Purbeck Marble?
- Colors of Purbeck Marble
Where is Purbeck Marble Found?
How Purbeck Marble Has Been Used
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What is Purbeck Marble?

Purbeck Marble is a type of rock that formed a very long time ago. It's part of the Durlston Formation, which is a group of rocks from the Early Cretaceous period. This was about 145 to 140 million years ago!

Even though it's called "marble," it's actually a limestone. Real marble is a metamorphic rock, which means it changed due to heat and pressure. Purbeck Marble didn't go through that process. It gets its name because it can be polished to a smooth, shiny surface, just like real marble.

The cool thing about Purbeck Marble is how it looks. It's packed with the shells of a freshwater snail called Viviparus. These tiny shells give the stone its unique patterns and textures. Another similar stone, Sussex Marble, also has these snail shells.

Scientists call this type of rock a "biomicrudite." This fancy word just means it's made of large pieces (like the snail shells) stuck together in a fine, muddy limestone.

Colors of Purbeck Marble

The different layers, or "seams," of Purbeck Marble are found between softer layers of clay and mud. These softer layers were laid down when the sea repeatedly covered the land.

Some of the marble layers contain minerals like hematite or limonite. These minerals give the stone beautiful red or brown colors. Other layers have a mineral called glauconite, which makes the marble green. Sometimes, you might even see a blue color!

Where is Purbeck Marble Found?

You can find Purbeck Marble all across the Isle of Purbeck. It stretches from a place called Worbarrow Tout in the west to Peveril Point in the east. It's either visible on the surface or just under a thin layer of soil.

The layers of marble are usually not very thick. They are never more than 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) thick, and often they are much thinner. These rock layers are tilted, pointing towards the north.

How Purbeck Marble Has Been Used

Purbeck Marble has been used for many things over thousands of years.

Ancient Uses

There's one known example of Purbeck Marble being used way back in the Bronze Age. It was found in a stone box, called a cist, at Langton Matravers.

During the time of the Romano-British people, this marble was very popular. They used it for writing on, for decorative shapes on buildings, and for thin coverings on walls. They also made tools like mortars and pestles and other items from it.

Medieval and Later Uses

In medieval times, Purbeck Marble was dug up a lot. You can see it in almost all the big cathedrals in the south of England. It was used for tall columns, flat panels, and flooring.

Some famous places where you can find it include:

It was also used in the 13th-century King's Table, a special piece of furniture used during coronation ceremonies for kings and queens.

It's not used as much today, but a great example of its modern use is the church at Kingston, Purbeck, Dorset. This church was built between 1874 and 1880.

While other types of Purbeck Limestone are still being quarried today (as of 2021), Purbeck Marble itself was last dug up in 1993.

Modern Artists

Today, some artists still use Purbeck Marble for their sculptures. Sculptors like Robbie Schneider and Emily Young create beautiful works of art with this unique stone.

Images for kids

Interlaced semicircular arches supported by Purbeck Marble shafts in the Temple Church, London
The 13th-century south transept of Beverley Minster, richly decorated with Purbeck Marble shafts.