Bath Stone - Use As A Building Stone

Use As A Building Stone

It was extensively used in the Roman and Medieval periods on domestic, ecclesiastical and civil engineering projects such as bridges.

Ralph Allen promoted its use in Bath in the early 18th century, including his own mansion at Prior Park, but it was used long before then. Example include religious, residential and industrial buildings. The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, which was founded in 1738 was designed by John Wood the Elder was built with Bath stone donated by Ralph Allen. It is a Grade II listed building. There is a fine pediment, in Bath stone, on the building depicting the parable of the good Samaritan.

St Stephens church situated on Lansdown Hill in Bath was constructed from a limestone sourced from the Limpley Stoke mine which is situated in the Limpley Stoke Valley. It has recently been restored.

The material has also been used widely outside Bath itself. Claverton Pumping Station at Claverton which was built of Bath Stone around 1810, pumps water from the River Avon to the Kennet and Avon Canal using power from the flow of the River Avon. The stone was also used for the Dundas Aqueduct, which is 150 yards (137.2 m) long with three arches built of Bath Stone, with Doric pilasters, and balustrades at each end.

Much of Bristol Cathedral was built of Bath Stone and the Wills Tower, which is the dominant feature of the Wills Memorial Building, is reinforced concrete faced with Bath and Clipsham stone. Bristol's Cabot Tower was also faced with Bath Stone. Arno's Court Triumphal Arch was built from Bath stone around 1760 and later dismantled before being moved to its current location and rebuilt.

Bath Stone was also favoured by architect Hans Price who designed much of 19th century Weston-super-Mare.

In London the neo-classical Georgian mansion Lancaster House was built from Bath Stone in 1825 for the Duke of York and Albany, the second son of King George III, as was St Luke's Church, Chelsea of 1824. The brick of Apsley House was fronted with Bath Stone, and several churches including Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury were built from the material. Apsley House, town house of the Dukes of Wellington, was remodelled in Bath Stone by the 1st Duke; this is still visible today. In Barnstable the 1855 construction of Butchers Row used Bath Stone.

In Reading the original building Royal Berkshire Hospital of 1839, together with the wings added in the 1860s, are now listed grade II* by English Heritage. They are built of Bath Stone with slate roofs, and the main building comprises 2 storeys and a basement. The frontage has 11 bays, with the central 7 bays forming a projecting pedimented hexastyle portico with Ionic columns. In 1860 the nearby Reading railway station building, in Bath Stone and incorporating a tower and clock, was constructed for the Great Western Railway, who also used it for Chippenham railway station.

Other mansions which have used Bath Stone include: Gatcombe Park, Goldney Hall, Tyntesfield, South Hill Park, Spetchley Park.

In 2002 the East End of Truro Cathedral was completely renovated and restored with some of the ornate Bath stone replaced with harder wearing Syerford stone. In 2005 the West Front was restored similarly. Both projects were supervised by MRDA Architects of London, the Cathedral architects.