Historic building stones and their distribution in the churches and chapels of West Sussex, England

A survey of the historic building stones used in the construction of 258 West Sussex churches and chapels has used a simple, replicable methodology for recording the relative abundance of building stones. The results, from buildings spanning the 10th to 20th centuries (Saxon to Victorian), have been analysed to produce distribution maps for 32 of the 42 significantly different stone types in common usage, including minor but geologically interesting forms. These building stones come from a range of geological and geographical sources, including imported material from the Isle of Wight, Dorset and France. It is shown that the distribution and abundance of the different building stones reflects the local geology, landscape character and changes through time as a result of improvements in supply and modes of transport. The inappropriate choice of stone is easily recognised. This study demonstrates the importance of geological resources in creating a heritage of ‘local distinctiveness’. The declining availability of the historic materials makes it increasingly important to respect and conserve existing building stones in order to protect the individuality of the churches. The methodology applied in this study contributes to the understanding and selection of appropriate stone for conservation and repair works.