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Common urban rocks -

(a work in progress)

bricks

In the Hull area there are no naturally occurring dimension stones. The nearest is the Cave Oolite in the South Cave and Newbald area. The Chalk of the Yorkshire Wolds is prone to shattering by frost so it is not a good building stone. The local geology of Holderness is "boulder clay" which consists of erratic pebbles and boulders in a matrix of clay and silt. The boulders have been used in many Holderness villages as a building material. The clay and silt can be used to make bricks. The Humber Warp can also be used to make bricks, this is clay that has settled out of the murky water of the Humber Estuary.

The size and shape of bricks can indicate their age. Medieval bricks in Hull tend to be about 5cm thick, 15cm wide and 25 or 30cm long. Modern bricks have a standard size of 65 x 102 x 215 cm.

 

Guided walk - Beverley Gate

  Medieval bricks at Beverley Gate in Hull

Copyright - Mike Horne and Hull Geological Society 2020

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