The Natural Stone Database
The stone database provides information and images about building stone used for both monuments and buildings.
Stone database
The Natural Stone Database for Northern Ireland
Stone detail - Richardson’s Linen Warehouse
This interactive database was established between 2005 and 2007 as part of an EU-funded, Industry-Research Partnership project under the Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme (BSP). It involved input from geologists at Queens University Belfast and Consarc Design Group supported by the Historic Environment Division of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency through the BSP programme.
Stone is a complex material. Natural weathering processes, in particular wetting, drying and the effects of frost have a big effect on stone and it is important to know the various performances of different stone types. This makes it easier in selecting stone for replacement.
The database provides important information and images about building stone used on both monuments and buildings throughout Northern Ireland. It also has information on the quarries (active and inactive) from which the stone was originally extracted. Linking the quarries to the structures provides not only a practical solution for replacement stone in many cases but also a historic dimension to its origin.
This information is intended to help owners, archaeologists, architects and all those involved in the conservation and research of monuments and buildings. It should assist in the identification, origin and performance of different stone types.