Caen stone (french: Pierre de Caen) is a light creamy-yellow
Jurassic limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
quarried in north-western France near the city of
Caen. The limestone is a fine grained
oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the
Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago. The stone is homogeneous, and therefore suitable for carving.
Use in building
The stone was first used for building in the
Gallo-Roman period with production from open cast quarries restarting in the 11th century. Shipped to England,
Canterbury Cathedral,
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
and the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sepa ...
were all partially built from Caen stone. Underground mining developed in the 19th century, but the stone trade declined in the 20th century eventually ceasing in the 1960s. Excavation restarted in the 1980s with the stone being used for building the
Caen Memorial. A 2004 decree by Caen city council authorised the annual quarrying of 9000 tonnes of stone.
Notable examples
*Caen stone was used in the construction of the late 11th-century austere Norman Romanesque Church of Saint-Étienne, at the
Abbaye-aux-Hommes (on the east side of
Caen), which was founded by
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...
, whose tomb is located there.
*The Norman Romanesque Church of La Trinité, at the
Abbaye-aux-Dames (on the west side of the city), was founded by William's wife,
Matilda of Flanders
Matilda of Flanders (french: link=no, Mathilde; nl, Machteld) ( 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was t ...
. Her tomb is located there.
*Both abbeys in Caen were built with Caen stone in
Norman Romanesque style, and both were unscathed by heavy aerial bombing in July 1944 that destroyed much of the city, as they were being used by the local populace to shelter from the air raids.
[page 28 of guidebook published by the Society of Friends of St Etienne Abbey, Caen]
*Used by the Normans for the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
and
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
, where it was brought by boat up the
River Wensum. Caen stone was also used extensively in
Canterbury cathedral. It was used by
Henry I of England
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...
at
Reading Abbey and fine examples of Romanesque sculpture in Caen stone are in the collection at the
Museum of Reading. Perhaps the most famous building in Caen stone built in Norman times is the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sepa ...
.
*Caen stone continued to be a popular material in Britain after the Norman period. For example, it was used for parts of the 19th-century
clock tower at the Palace of Westminster.
*Caen stone has also been exported to the United States, Bermuda and recently Saudi Arabia. The
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
screen on the east wall of the sanctuary at
Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts is built of Caen stone.
The high altar of
St. Mary's Church in
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...
is made of Caen stone.
[
]
See also
*
References
Geology of Normandy (French Language)
List of buildings which have used Caen Stone (French Language)
;Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caen Stone
Limestone
Building stone