Caen stone
Encyclopedia
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
.
The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian
Bathonian
In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age or stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 167.7 Ma to around 164.7 Ma...
Age about 167 million years ago. The stone is homogenous, and therefore suitable for carving.
Use in Building
The stone was first used for building in the Gallo-Roman period. Production from open cast quarries re started in the 11th Century. Underground mining developed in the 19th Century, but the stone trade declined in the 20th Century stopping in the 1960s. Excavation re-started in the 1980s with the stone being used for building the Caen MemorialMémorial de Caen
The Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial in Caen, Normandy, France commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen. The building and grounds are located in the northern suburbs of the city of Caen on the site of an old blockhouse...
. A 2004 decree by Caen City council authorised the annual quarriyng of 9000 tonnes of stone.
Notable examples
- Caen stone was used in the construction of the late eleventh century austere Norman Romanesque Church of Saint-Étienne, at the Abbaye-aux-HommesAbbaye-aux-HommesThe Abbaye aux Hommes is a former abbey church in the French city of Caen, Normandy. Dedicated to Saint Stephen , it is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames , to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine...
(on the east side of CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
), which was founded by William the Conqueror, whose tomb is located there. - The Norman Romanesque Church of La Trinité, at the Abbaye-aux-DamesAbbaye aux DamesThe Abbaye aux Dames is a former abbey in Caen, Normandy, northern France, now home to the Conseil Régional de Basse Normandie...
(on the west side of the city), was founded by William's wife, Matilda. Her tomb is located there. - Both abbeys in Caen were built with Caen stone in NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
Romanesque style, and both were unscathed by heavy aerial bombing in July 1944 that destroyed much of the city. - The narthexNarthexThe narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
screen on the east wall of the sanctuary at Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts is built of Caen stone. - This stone was also a popular building material with the Normans in England. It was used in both the cathedral and castle at NorwichNorwichNorwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, where it was brought by boat up the River WensumRiver WensumThe River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
. Caen stone was also used extensively in Canterbury cathedralCanterbury CathedralCanterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. It was used by Henry I of EnglandHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
at Reading AbbeyReading AbbeyReading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
and fine examples of Romanesque sculpture in Caen stone are in the collection at the Museum of ReadingMuseum of ReadingThe Museum of Reading is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area...
. Perhaps the most famous building in Caen stone is the Tower of LondonTower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. - Caen stone has also been exported to the USA, Bermuda and recently Saudi Arabia.