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Urban Geology in London No. 20 ©Ruth Siddall; UCL, August 2014; Updated January 2017. 1 London’s Pub Geology: A Spotter’s Guide By Ruth Siddall The Three Crowns, Stoke Newington High Street, N16 The last quarter of the 19 th Century and the first few years of the Twentieth were the golden age of London Pub architecture with the building of fantastic and fantastical temples to anti-temperance. City pubs of this period, unlike those of earlier times, were not part of coaching inns, taverns (which also served food) or hotels. They functioned purely as drinking establishments (with maybe a few distractions in the form of games, such as billiards). The intention of pubs was to appear as eye-catching, attractive and welcoming establishments with the sole aim of luring paying customers in, and keeping them in as long as possible. They would have been (and often still are) well lit at night, with rows of lamps along their frontages and would have stood out like beacons on the dark, night-time streets of Victorian and Edwardian London. The exterior decoration of pubs was often lavish as was the interiors, although few London pubs retain examples of their original interiors (see Brandwood & Jephcoate, 2004 for survivors). However lavish does not necessarily equate with luxurious and expensive. Although not necessarily done ‘on the cheap’, interiors were often furnished with wooden panels, mass-produced (but often beautiful) pressed and cut glass and mirrors, and brass light fittings. Compare this with the ‘marble halls’ of hotels and fine dining restaurants aimed at the wealthy, such as Charles Fitzroy Doll’s Russell Hotel (1898) and the Criterion Restaurant, by Frank Verity (1899) the latter in swanky Vermont Marble all the way from the USA. For further information on these and others, see Renwick (1909), Davies (2012) & Siddall (2013). At pavement level, the ground floor exteriors of many of London’s Victorian and Edwardian pubs arguably fall into three main categories of decoration. Those with ‘granite’ façades, those clad with elaborate tiles and other architectural ceramics and those with carved wooden exteriors and decorative glasswork. Breweries sometimes imposed a ‘livery’ of decorative styles, for example the stunning emerald green faience tiles used on a number of Truman’s pubs (i.e. The Labour & Wait on Redchurch Street E1, now a
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London’sPubGeology:ASpotter’sGuideByRuthSiddall
TheThreeCrowns,StokeNewingtonHighStreet,N16Thelastquarterofthe19thCenturyandthefirstfewyearsoftheTwentiethwerethegoldenageofLondonPubarchitecturewiththebuildingoffantasticandfantasticaltemplestoanti-temperance.Citypubsofthisperiod,unlike thoseofearlier times,werenotpartofcoaching inns, taverns(whichalsoserved food)orhotels. They functionedpurely as drinking establishments (withmaybe a fewdistractions in the formofgames, suchasbilliards).The intentionofpubswas toappearaseye-catching,attractiveandwelcomingestablishmentswith thesoleaimof luringpayingcustomers in,andkeeping them inas longaspossible.Theywouldhavebeen(andoftenstillare)well litatnight,withrowsof lampsalongtheir frontagesandwouldhavestoodoutlikebeaconsonthedark,night-timestreetsofVictorianandEdwardianLondon.Theexterior decoration of pubs was often lavish as was the interiors, although few London pubs retainexamplesoftheiroriginalinteriors(seeBrandwood&Jephcoate,2004forsurvivors).Howeverlavishdoesnot necessarily equate with luxurious and expensive. Although not necessarily done ‘on the cheap’,interiorswereoftenfurnishedwithwoodenpanels,mass-produced(butoftenbeautiful)pressedandcutglass andmirrors, and brass light fittings. Compare thiswith the ‘marble halls’ of hotels and fine diningrestaurants aimed at the wealthy, such as Charles Fitzroy Doll’s Russell Hotel (1898) and the CriterionRestaurant, by Frank Verity (1899) the latter in swanky VermontMarble all theway from the USA. Forfurtherinformationontheseandothers,seeRenwick(1909),Davies(2012)&Siddall(2013).Atpavementlevel,thegroundfloorexteriorsofmanyofLondon’sVictorianandEdwardianpubsarguablyfall intothreemaincategoriesofdecoration.Thosewith ‘granite’ façades,thosecladwithelaboratetilesand other architectural ceramics and those with carved wooden exteriors and decorative glasswork.Breweries sometimes imposed a ‘livery’ of decorative styles, for example the stunning emerald greenfaiencetilesusedonanumberofTruman’spubs (i.e.TheLabour&WaitonRedchurchStreetE1,nowa
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trendypurveyorofbrushes.Yes,brushes.It’s inShoreditch).Onecanimaginethatthebriefwas‘givemesomethingthat’seasytosluicedownonaSaturdaymorning,toremovethe ‘stains’ofFridaynight–butstill looks classy!’ Upper stories were usually in brick, with occasional trims in stone or architecturalceramicsandstucco-work.Architectsweregenerallycommissionedbypublicans,ormorerarelybreweries.and almost to a man, they have gone pretty much unrecorded in the annals of architecture. As MarkGirouard(1984)putsittheywere‘architectswho…weremorelikelytobefoundinthesaloonbarthantheArtsClub’.Howeversuccessful individualsandpartnershipsincludeTreadwell&MartinwhodesignedtheRisingSunonTottenhamCourtRoad,Thorpe&Furnisswhodesignedanumberofpubs inCamdenandnorthLondon,Shoebridge&Rising,H.W.Batley,NormanShaw,H.I.Newton,whodesigned96pubs,manyfor thebreweryWatney’s, Eedle&MeyersandT.W. Fletcher.Architectural stylesweremixandmatch,withtheso-called‘QueenAnne’stylethemostpopular,butotherswithtouchesofGothicandmock-TudorandevenNeoclassical-stylearchitecture,withperhapsanaddedturretoralittledome(Girouard,1984).MarkGirouard’sbook,‘VictorianPubs’,originallypublishedin1975,remainstheclassicworkonthesocialarchitecture of the London Pub and it is recommended to anyone interested in further reading on thissubject. Architecturally, some notable examples of Victorian and Edwardian pubs are included in thevolumes of Pevsner’s architectural guides to London (Bradley& Pevsner, 1999, 2003; Cherry& Pevsner,1991,1998,2002;Cherryetal.,2005).Otherwise,manypubsareproudoftheirhistoriesanddisplayoldprintsandtalesontheirwallsandmuchlocalknowledgecanbe learnedtherein.CAMRAprovidesaveryusefulinventoryofarchitecturallyimportantLondonpubinteriors(Brandwood&Jephcoate,2004),atextwhichisarguablythemotherofallpubcrawlsfortheseriousdrinkerwithaninterestinVictorianandfindesiècledecorativearts.
Glass‘snob-screens’inTheLamb,Lamb’sConduitStreetWC1NThis article largely focuses on the exterior decoration of pubs, using ornamental stones, mainly thoseconsidered ‘granites’ by the building trade. However noteworthy examples of the few remarkable, orindeedspectacular,useofstoneinpubinteriorsareincludedinthegazetteerbelow.Thiswork,whichisfarfromexhaustive, is theresultofmanyyearsof ‘research’.However, therearemany,manymorepubstoadd,sodoletmeknowifyouwouldliketoaddyourlocaltothegazetteerbelow.Contactdetailsareatthebottomofthisarticle,ortweetwiththehashtag#PubGeology.Don’tworryifyoucan’tidentifythestones,pleasesendaphotoorinvitemeoverforapint!
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PubRockGranites andother igneous rocksare the stones that typically featureon theexteriorsofVictorianpubsbuilt(orrefurbished)betweenc.1885and1910.Theseareabletotakeagoodpolishandatthesametimewithstandagreatdealofwind,rain,pollution,urineandvomit.It isfairtosaythatgraniteisnotastoneassociated with the south east of England. Granites were exported to the capital predominantly fromCornwall, Scotland and Scandinavia. Cornish granite had been important in London’s building since theearly19thCenturywhen itwasusedfor foundationsofbuildingsandbridgesandtheconstructionof theThames Embankment. It is particularly strong and hard, able to bear great loads and stand up to theelements. The use of granites as decorative stones was influenced by several advances in technology.Quarrying techniques, especially of hard stones such as the granites and other igneous rocks becamemechanisedduring themid-nineteenthcenturywith the inventionof steamdrilling rigs, framesawsandBlondins (wire cableways used for hoisting stoneout of deepquarries). Importantly, the skills to polishgraniteweredevelopedbytheNewallfamilywhoownedthegraniteworksatCraignairnearDalbeattieinsouthwest Scotland.Although this stonehadbeenused locally for centuries,AndrewNewall is creditedwith the first commercial granite quarry operation on the Criffel-Dalbeattie pluton in 1800. The firmdeveloped polishing technology in the 1840s and exhibited examples of polished granite at the GreatExhibitionintheCrystalPalacein1851.Polishingconsiderablyenhancesthebeautyofgranitesandsimilarigneousrocksandasaconsequencethestonesbecamemorepopularindecorativecontextsasopposedtoengineeringones.The next major influence on the use of granites (and other stones used in Victorian building) was theimprovementofthetransportationnetwork.Theconstructionoffirst,canals,certainlychangedthings,butof far greater importance in the time period we are interested in was the arrival of the railways (Lott,2005).Theseincludednotonlythenationalnetwork,butalsotheconstructionoflocalquarryrailwaysforremovingstone fromthequarriesandconnectingwithshippingwharvesor themain lines.Asubstantialnumberoflineswereinplaceinthe1840sto1850s,includingadirectlinefromLondontotheSouthWestandtheCornishgranites.HoweverthebiginfluenceontheuseofgranitesonLondonpubswastheNorthBritish Railways line connecting Aberdeenwith Edinburgh and then the direct line fromAberdeen to StPancras in the1890s. This enabled themass import ofmoreaffordable Scottish granites, but also thosefromtheNordiccountries,particularlyNorwayandSweden.
FitzroyTavern,16CharlotteStreetW1T2LY;contrastingScandinaviangranites,SwedishBalmoralandlarvikite
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TheindustrialrevolutionalsobroughtaboutamajorquarryingandbuildingphaseintheBalticcountries,asit did in the United Kingdom,withmany civic buildings in Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen erectedfromthePrecambrianbasementoftheBalticShieldandthePermianmagmaticrocksoftheOsloGraben.Scottish-style rubble architecture was influential on Nordic architects during this period (Selonen &Suominen,2003),andtherewerestronglinksbetweenScotlandand,particularlyNorwayandSwedendueto a shared love of herring but also a not insignificant diaspora of Scots, including those who were tobecomeprominentbusinessmen,toSwedenfromthe17thCenturyonwards.Aberdeengraniteproductionpeakedaround1900andnewsourceswere required.There isno shortageofgranitic rocks in theBalticShield.AberdeenbecamethemainportfortheimportofstonesfromthisregionintotheUKandindeed,cuttingandpolishingofNordicstoneswascarriedoutbytheScottishgranitecompanies’workshopsbeforebeing freighted down south. As a result, they acquired names such as ‘Balmoral’ and ‘Bon Accord’, thelatteristhecityofAberdeen’smotto.Granitesandother igneousrocksarethecommonestseenonthestone-cladVictorianpubfrontage,andstonework, beyond the odd fireplace or mosaic floor, is infrequently encountered inside. Pubs withinteriors clad in lavishmarbledecorationare relatively uncommon.This styleof architecturaldecorationwas generally beyond thepocket of the averagepublican.However TheBlack Friar on thenorth endofBlackfriars’Bridge isanotableexception.Althoughoriginallybuilt in1873,the interiorandexteriorwereremodelled in1905byH.FullerClark(Banerjee,2007).ThestoneshavebeenbrieflydescribedbySiddall(2014) and include Greekmarbles which had been rediscovered in the 1880s and had become popularthroughmajorbuildingprojectssuchastheconstructionofWestminsterCathedral.EnglishAlabastersandSwedishGreenMarblearealsousedinthisbuilding.
TheBlackFriar,174QueenVictoriaStreet,EC4V4EG.TheCountingHouseonCornhillalsohasaspectacularinteriorcladwithEnglishAlabasterdatingfrom1906.It was once the City University Club, so to be fair, not strictly designed as a pub. It was restored andrefurbished in the early 21st century. English Alabaster is a Triassic gypsum rock which has veiningaccentuatedbyironoxidesandcomesfromtheTutburyGypsumBedswhichwasquarriedinStaffordshireand Derbyshire. This stonewas popular in Victorian interior decorations and can be seen inmany civicbuildingsandchurchesoftheage.
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Crocker’s Folly (formerly The Crown) in Aberdeen Place,Maida Vale (Architect; C. H.Worley, 1898-9) iscurrentlyundergoingrefurbishmentwhichwillhopefullypreservetheinterior’sgrandmarblefittings,usedespeciallyaroundthebarandamonumental fireplace inthesaloon.Fromdimmemory,themainstonesemployedhereareCampan‘marbles’andrelatedDevoniannodularlimestonesfromtheFrenchPyreneesandthesouthernMassifCentral.Wherestoneisusedonpubs,itisrarelyanythingthatabuilderorarchitectwouldnotcalla‘granite’.ApubunusualinmanywaysistheJamaicaWineHouse.Thispub,builtonthesiteofa17thCenturycoffeehouseis on St Michael’s Alley, a narrow lane leading off Cornhill in the City of London. Not only is it by anestablishedandwell-knownarchitect,BanisterFletcher,butitis(probablyforthesamereason)notbuiltinthe standard style. It is built from red brick and Red Mansfield Stone, a sandy, iron-rich facies of thePermianCadebySandstones, a seriesbetter known for their limestones. Theoriginal interior is alsowellpreserved(Brandwood&Jephcoate,2004).
JamaicaWineHouse,StMichael’sAlleyEC3V9DSIdentifyingthecommonstonesusedonLondon’sVictorianPubsThereisalotofuniformityinthedecorativestonesusedinLondon’spubs,butitistruetosaythatdarker,warmer-coloured granites appear to have been preferred over the pale grey granites of Cornwall andDartmoor.Toaidinidentification,thecommonstonesaredescribedandillustratedbelow.ThegoodthingaboutgranitesandotherigneousrockscommonlyusedinVictorianarchitectureisthattheyarerelativelycoarsegrainedandsothatthemineralspresentcanbeeasilyidentifiedwiththenakedeye.Atruegranite,inthegeologicalsensemustcontainquartz,at leastone,butusuallytwovarietiesoffeldspar,orthoclaseandplagioclaseandatleastoneofthetwomainmicaminerals,muscoviteandbiotite.Quartzisgenerallyglassy and slightly translucent in appearance and can vary in colour from grey to dark brown. In somecases, where the rock has undergone deformation, the quartz may appear slightly bluish and opaline.Feldsparsappearopaque.Plagioclase feldspar isusuallywhite ingranites,but can showawide rangeofcoloursandopticaleffects inother rock types,asdescribedbelowfor larvikite.Orthoclasecanbewhite,but it can also show awide range of colours ranging frompink through orange or brown to bright red.Muscovite forms silvery, flake-like crystals and catches the sunlight. Themore common biotite is black.Rocksthatcontaintwofeldsparsbutnoquartzarecalledmonzonites. Imagesofthecommonstonesareshownonthenextpagesanddescribedindetailinthefollowingtext.
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BritishGranites
Above:Left,CairngallGranitefromFlushing,Aberdeenshire.Fieldofview~10cm.Right,PeterheadGranite,fieldofview~10cm.Composedofamosaicofsalmonpinkorthoclaseanddarkgreyquartz.
Above:ShapGranitewiththedistinctivephenocrysts,whichareusually2-3cminlength.Left;theDarkShapvariety,fieldofview~20cm.Right,LightShap,fieldofview~30cm.NBthephenocrystsarethesamesizeinbothvarieties.
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NorwegianLarvikites&SwedishRedGranites
Above:Left;BluePearlLarvikite,fieldofview~10cm.Right,MarinaPearlLarvikite,fieldofview~10cm.MarinaPearlisprobablythecommonestvarietyofLarvikiteseenonVictorianpubs.
Above:Left;EmeraldPearlLarvikite,fieldofview~8cm.Right;SwedishGraverforsGranite.ASmåland-Varmlandgranite,ithasstrikinglyviolet-colouredquartz,partlyanopticalillusioncausedbystrainplusthepresenceofredironoxide.Fieldofview~12cm.
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RedSwedishGranites
Above:ExamplesofSwedishRedgranites,typicaloftheSmåland-Varmlandplutons.Left;VånevikGranitewithblue,strainedquartz(thisismuchmoreobviouswhenseenwiththenakedeye).Right;typicalSmåland-Varmlandgranite.ThisstonewassometimesmarketedasSwedishBalmoral.Fieldofviewinbothimagesis~10cm,
Above:RedrapakivitypegranitesfromtheFigeholmGranite.Left;VirboGraniteandRight;BonAccord(Uthammer)Granite.SwedishImperialRedisverysimilar,butlacksthewhiteplagioclase.Fieldofviewinbothimagesis~10cm.
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ScottishGranitesThetwomostfrequentlyencounteredScottishgranitesseenonVictorianpubsarePeterheadandCairngallGranite.Intermsofgeologicalenvironments,granitestendtobeemplacedtowardstheendofmountain-buildingphasesor‘orogenies’.Astheearth’ssurfaceisrapidlyupliftedtoformthemountains,thepressureon sections of the crust reduces and voluminous melts can form as a consequence. This kind of ‘late-tectonic’or‘post-tectonic’graniteisnotassociatedwithvolcanism.Theprocessoferosionareresponsiblefor the surfaceexposureof these intrusions. TheScottishGraniteswereemplaced towards theendof amajormountain-buildingevent,theCaledonianOrogeny.ThoseoftheAberdeenareabelongtooneoftwosuites the so called ‘north-eastern biotite-muscovite granites’ and the Cairngorm Suite (Stephenson &Gould, 1995). The former are late-tectonic granites, ranging in age from 435 – 470 Ma and they arepredominantlygreyincolour.TheyincludetherockmarketedasCairngallGranite,whichcomesfromtheintrusionknowngeologicallyastheForestofDeerPluton.Thisdarkgreygranitecomesinattheolderendof this suite at 470Ma. It ismedium to fine grained but contains scattered larger crystals of pale greyfeldspar. Peterhead Granite is a post-tectonic granite, much younger at a mere 406 Ma. It belongs toCairgormSuiteanditisapalegreyish-tosalmonpink-coloured,medium-grainedgranite,fleckedwithblackmicas. As Howe (1910) wrote “... a very beautiful cool grey colour, with small, irregular-shaped whitefelspars [sic]sprinkled in thegreyground ...’.Confusingly itcutsupthroughtheForestofDeer (Carngall)Granite, despite the 70million year age differences, and so the two stone are found next door to eachother. This may have been a reason they were often used together, and indeed, Cairgall is sometimes(wrongly)referredtoas‘greyPeterheadGranite’.TheycomefromnearthefishingportofPeterhead,northofAberdeen.PeterheadisquarriedfromthecoastalquarriesatStirlinghill,whereasCairngallcomesfromthevillageofFlushing,afewkilometresinland.CairngallQuarriesatFlushinghavelongbeenclosedandtheareaisnowariflerange.Peterheadisstillworkedsporadically.
The[Bunchof]Grapes,14LimeStreet,EC3M7AN,afaçadeentirelyinPeterheadGranite.Other important granites from the Aberdeen area are the orange-pink, medium-fine grained CorennieGraniteandthedarkgrey,foliated,biotite-richRubislawGranite,bothfromthesamesuiteasCairngall.
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ShapGraniteShapgranite isprobably themost importantEnglishgraniteused inVictorianarchitecture.Again it is aninstantly recognisable rock,withnograniteswithsimilar textures inuse.Thereare twovarietiesofShapGranite,Dark and Light. Both showwell formed large crystals of pink potassic feldspar, orthoclase,withwelldevelopedandclearlydefinedcrystalfaces.Theseareset inamediumgrainedmatrixoforthoclase,quartz,plagioclaseandbiotite.PyriteandfluoriteoccurasaccessorymineralsandareoccasionallyvisibleinpolishedexamplesofShapGranite.Thismatrix isorange-brown in theDarkShapvarietyandgrey in theLightShapvariety.BothvarietiescomefromonequarryatShapFellinCumbria,NWEngland.Despitethefameof this stone,both inarchitectureand inundergraduategeologyclasses, there isvery littlewrittenabout it either geologically or indeed in terms of the history of quarrying. However itwas clearly beingextracted on an industrial scale at the turn of the 19th Century. Shap Granite was almost exclusivelyquarried for export as a decorative granite. It is rarely encountered locally, even in rubblestoneconstructions.Afewchurchfittingsandgravestonesaretheexception(Lott,2013).
DarkandLightShapGranite,TheCrown&Sceptre,86GreatTitchfieldStreetW1.ShapGranitewasintrudedduringtophasesat397Ma;theLightvarietywastheearliestandtheDarkwasthe later phase. It is a Late-CaledonianGranite, intruded at the endof theorogenic phase in the LowerDevonian,itisasteep-sidedintrusionwhichhasbeenemplacedattheboundaryoftheWindermereGroupandtheBorrowdaleVolcanicsSupergroup.Italsocontainsalargenumberof(usually)roundedenclavesofcountry rock,whichwere known to the quarrymen as ‘heathens’meaning that theywere clearly out ofplaceinthegranite.Howeveritisthelargecrystalsoforthoclase,themegacrysts,thatmakesthisrocksodistinctive.Alonethemegacrystscomprise~50%oftherock.Theformationofmegacrystsingranitesisthepointofsomediscussionbetweencampsthatbelievethattheyare‘phenocrysts’thatcrystallisedfromthemelt(Vernon&Paterson,2008)or‘porphyroblasts’whichcrystallisedinthesolidstate(Glazner&Johnson,2013).InShapGranitethemegacrystsareoccasionallyobservedinsidetheheathensandevencross-cuttingthemarginsofheathensandhostrock,evidenceperhapsthatverylatestagesolidstategrowthisprobablythemostlikelymechanism.Howeverthereisnodoubtthattheprocessesleadingtomegacrystformationarecomplex!Neverthelesstheyverymuchcontributetothebeautyanduniquenessofthisstone.LarvikiteThevarietiesorlarvikite,probablyNorway’sgreatestexporttotherestoftheWorld,arethemostcommonvarietiesof stone seenonVictorian andEdwardianpubs, the archetypal ‘pub rock’. It is a striking stonewhichcomesatleastsixdifferentvarieties,butwhichareessentiallygrey,blueandalmostblackorbronzyincolour,marketedasthevarietiesMarinaPearl,BluePearlandEmeraldPearl.Whatmakesthesestonesreally distinctive andeye-catching is the presenceof large (1-2 cm) crystals of feldsparwhich exhibit an
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iridescentplayofcolours.Thisphenomenaisknownasschillerescence,anditseffectisforthecrystalstoflash in shadesofblueas you changeyourangleof lookingat the stone’s surface. It is thiseffectwhichmadethestonepopularanditisstillactivelyquarriedtodayintheVestfoldregionofsouthernNorway.Itwas first worked on a commercial scale in 1884, perfect timing for the boom in pub building, andconsequentlyitwasverypopular,withoftenmorethanonevarietyseentogetheronthesamebuilding.LarvikitecomesfromtheLarvikPlutonicComplex(LPC),aseriesofsemi-circularintrusions,around10inall,ofwhich6orsofurnishthevarietiesoflarvikitequarriedtoday.TheLPCisofPermianage,datedcirca290Ma and itwas intruded into an extensional rift zone, theOsloGraben. Its geology andmineralogyhavebeendescribedbyNeumann(1979),Rambergetal.(2008)andSelonen&Suominen(2008).ThelarvikiteswereprobablythemagmachamberswithfedvolcanoeseruptingquantitiesoflavasknownastheRhombPorphyries,which look completelydifferent, buthave identical compositions. They contain large rhomb-shapedcrystalsoffeldspars,hencethename.ThereismuchmistruthspreadaboutLarvikite.Itisoftenclaimedinthebuildingstoneliteraturethatitisasyeniteandthattheschillerescentfeldsparsaretheplagioclasevariety labradorite.Althoughthis isoftenstated in the same sentence, these two ‘facts’ are contradictory. Syenites contain potassic feldspars forstarters. ‘Labradorite’ and ‘schillerescence’ are often associated, usually within the semi-precious stoneindustry.Howeverthisphenomenaisnotrestrictedtolabradoriteandcanbeshownbyalltheplagioclasefeldspars,but it isnotalwayspresent.Thereforenotall labradoritesare schillerescent, andby the samerule, schillerescence is not diagnostic of labradorite. The feldspars in larvikites are of extremely unusualcomposition, containing sodium, potassium and calcium, with sodium being the most abundant. Suchchemistriesarenotstable,andduringcoolingofthemagma,plagioclase(sodium-calciumfeldspar)formedwithlaminaeofpotassicfeldspar,literallyunmixingwithinthem.Thistextureiscalledantiperthite,andtheplagioclasehostistherelativelysodiumrichvarietyoligoclase.Consequentlyapproximatelyequalamountsof plagioclase and K-feldspar are present, making this rock a monzonite. It also contains the pyroxenetitanaugite,lepidomelane(avarietyofmica)andmagnetite.Incidentally labradorite isassociatedwithrockscalledanorthosites,suchasthe‘Spectrolite’ fromFinlandand the spectacular ‘Labradorite Peacock Blue’ from Madagascar, both of which do show spectacularschillerescence in labradoritecrystals.Theschiller is causedby reflectionandrefractionof lightbetweenmicroscopically thin layers in thecrystals,aneffectnotdissimilar tothatobservedwhenthinslicksofoilform on rain puddles. The thin layers are caused by crystallographic phenomena within the crystalstructure,eithercleavageortwinplanes,oralso inthecaseoftheVestfold larvikites, laminarchanges incompositionduetounmixingofsodium-calciumrichandpotassiumrichfeldspars.SwedishRedsRedgraniteshavebeenquarriedcommerciallyforc.150years inthesoutheasternarea ofSweden,theKalmar coast. Theybelong to twomainmagmatic suites; the granites of the Trans-scandinavian IgneousBelt(TIB)andtheso-calledrapakivigraniteswhichwererelatedtoalater,extensionalplatetectonicphase.Therehas,unfortunately,neverbeenmuch interest in theSwedishgeologicalsurveyonthegeologyandprovenanceofbuildingstones.ThisisinmajorcontrastwithneighbouringFinlandandNorwaywherethereisawealthofpublishedmaterialhelpingwiththeidentificationofstones.Whenitcomestounderstandingthe Swedish granites used on late 19th Century pubs, we are somewhat cast adrift in the Baltic. UsefulcontemporarysourcesarethoseofHowe(1910)andElsden&Howe(1923).Howeverunfortunatelythereareno accompanying illustrations andneither authors, although competent geologists, never visited thequarries.Theirknowledgeofprovenancewasprobablyinfluencedbystonemerchants.The granitoids of the Trans-scandinavian Igneous Belt were intruded between 1.85 and 1.67 Ga(Proterozoic).DespitethewideagerangeandtheenormityoftheTIB(~1400kminlengthrunningfromTrømsoon theNWcoast ofNorway to southern Sweden), thebulk of the rocks are quartzmonzonites,containingequalamountsofplagioclaseandorthoclasefeldsparsaswellasquartzandasmallproportionof mafic minerals. They were intruded at the end of a major mountain building phase called the
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SvecofennianOrogeny (seeRambergetal.,2008;Högdahletal.,2004;Anderssonetal.,2004)andwereemplacedinacontinentalmarginsetting.Therocksquarriedcomefromthesouthernpartofthisbelt,theSmåland-VarmlandBelt and tend tobemediumgrainedwith strongly-coloured redorthoclase feldspars,givingthemaspeckledredandwhiteappearancealongwiththeplagioclasefeldspars.Quartzisminorandgrey and various intrusions have variable amounts of biotite. These stoneswere extracted from severalquarries and were generically known as the Swedish Reds, although some were marketed as SwedishBalmoral. Elsden & Howe (1923) and Howe (1910) give particular emphasis to the variety quarried atGraverfors, with violet-coloured strained quartz and dark red feldspars, and a bright red variety fromVånevik,alsowithopticallybluequartz,ontheBalticcoast.
MarinaPearlLarvikiteandBonAccordRed,TheThreeCrowns,175StokeNewingtonHighStreetN16The same region underwent a second phase of magmatism some 200-300 million years later and thegranitesthatintrudedtheTIBwereassociatedwithanextensionalplatetectonicphaseatc.1.4Ga.Thesearetherapakivigraniteswhichfallintotwomaintypes.Classicrapakivigraniteorviborgite,containslargeovoid phenocrysts of orthoclase and is marketed under the name of Baltic Brown. However it was notcommercially quarried until the 20th Century, an is therefore not a traditional Victorian pub rock. Ourrapakivigranitesareofavarietycalledpyterliteandtheyarecharacterisedwithlarge,brightredorthoclasefeldspars, which often look like they have been crushed. These rocks were primarily derived from twointrusions on the Kalmar coastal region of SE Sweden, the Götemar Granite and the Figeholm Granite.These produced stones marketed as Swedish Imperial Red and Bon Accord (or Uthammer) graniterespectively. ImperialRed is richer inmaficminerals thanBonAccord,butotherwise thestonesareverysimilar,withhuge (2-3 cm), striking carnation-red feldspars.A small island in theBaltic, not faroffshoreproducesanothersimilarvarietyknownasBlåJungfrunorVirgoGranite.Thisvarietyhasverydark,purplishquartzcrystals.
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PubGeologyGazetteer
This list contains pubs with ‘granite’ façades at street level, which I will add to periodically. Please docontactme(detailsattheendofthisdocument)ifyouwouldliketoaddapubtothislist.Notethatthelistcontains a few ‘deconsecrated’ pubs, such as The Angel, Islington, which retain the spectacular stonefaçades.
BedfordTavern,160SevenSistersRoadN77PT;PeterheadGranite.
BigChillHouse,257-259PentonvilleRoadN19NL;VirboGranite,unknowngreygranite.
DeHemsDutchCaféBar,11MacclesfieldStreetW1D5BW;PeterheadGranite.
EnkelArms,34SevenSistersRoadN76AA;ImperialRedGranite,EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
FitzroyTavern,16CharlotteStreetW1T2LY;BluePearlLarvikite,SwedishBalmoralGranite.
GreenMan&FrenchHorn,54StMartin’sLaneWC2N4EA;PeterheadGranite,CairngallGranite.
Inn1888,21DevonshirePlaceMewsW1G6PD;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
JackHorner,TottenhamCourtRoad;PeterheadGranitecolumnsonupperstories.
JamaicaWineHouse,StMichael’sAlley,EC3V9DS;MansfieldRedSandstone.
King’sArms,68GreatTitchfieldStreetW1W7QL;PeterheadGranite,MarinaPearlLarvikite.
King’sHead,115UpperStreetN11QN;PeterheadGranite,unknownbrown-coloured,two-micagranite.
Millers,19CaledonianRoad,N19DX;PeterheadGranite,CairngallGranite,EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
Newman Street Tavern, 48 Newman StreetW1T !QQ;Marina Pearl, Emerald Pearl Larvikite, PeterheadGranite.
PrincessLouise,208HighHolbornWC1V7EP;SwedishImperialRed,EmeraldPearlLarvikite(below).
SkinnersArms,114JuddStreetWC1H9NT;MarinaPearlLarvikite.
SpiceofLife,6MoorStreet(CambridgeCircus)W1D5NA;MarinaPearlLarvikite,VånevikGranite.
TheAdmiralty,66,TrafalgarSquareWC2N5DS;CornishGranite,PeterheadGranite.
TheAlbert,52VictoriaStreetSW1H;MarinaPearlLarvikite,GraverforsGranite.
TheAngel,61-62StGilesHighStreetWC2H8LH;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheArgyllArms,18,ArgyllStreetW1F7TP;EmeraldPearlLarvikite,VånevikGranite.
TheBlackFriar,174QueenVictoriaStreet,EC4V4EG;variousmarbles&alabaster-seeSiddall(2014).
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TheBunchofGrapes,14LimeStreet,EC3M7AN;PeterheadGranite.
TheCambridge,93CharingCrossRoadWC2H0DP;PeterheadGranite.
TheClachan,34KinglyStreetW1B5QH;MarinaPearlLarvikite.
TheClarence,53WhitehallSW1A2HP;DarkShapGranite,EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheCoachMakers,88MaryleboneLaneW1U2PY;MarinaPearlLarvikite,ImperialRedGranite.
TheCock,27,GreatPortlandStreetW1W8QG;VirboGranite,CarmenRedGranite(below).
TheCountingHouse,50Cornhill,EC3V3PD;EnglishAlabaster(interior).
TheCourt,108ATottenhamCourtRoadW1T5AA;SwedishBalmoralGranite.
The Crown & Sceptre, 86 Great Titchfield StreetW1W 6SD; Emerald Pearl Larvikite, Dark & Light ShapGranite.
TheDog&Duck,18BatemanStreetW1D3AJ;EmeraldPearlLarvikite,RubislawGranite.
TheFeathers,18-20BroadwaySW1H0BHT;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheFlyingScotsman,2-4CaledonianRoadN19DT;GraverforsGranite.
TheGeorge,55GreatPortlandStreetW1W7LQ;PeterheadGranitecolumns.
TheGeorge&Vulture,63PitfieldStreetN16BU;Emerald&MarinaPearlLarvikite,GraversforsGranite.
TheGoldenLion,25KingStreetSW1Y6QY;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheLytteltonArms,1CamdenHighStreetNW17JE;ImperialRedGranite,MarinaPearlLarvikite
TheMarlboroughArms,TorringtonPlaceWC1E(below);MarinaPearlLarvikite.
TheMason’sArms,8DevonshireStreetW1W5EA;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheOldCoffeeHouse,49BeakStreetW1F9SF;PeterheadGranite.
TheOldShades,37WhitehallSW1A2BX;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
ThePhoenix,37CavendishSquareW1G0PP;asinglecolumnofBonAccordRed.
TheQueen’sHead,ActonStreet,WC1X9NB;EmeraldPearlLarvikite,PeterheadGranite.
TheRedHerring,49GreshamStreet,EC2V7EH;BiancoSardoGranite,RoyalBluePearlLarvikite.
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TheRisingSun,46TottenhamCourtRoadW1T2ED;EmeraldPearlLarvikite
TheRocket,120EustonRoadNW12AL;SwedishBonAccordRed.
TheSmugglersTavern,28WarrenStreetW1T5ND;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheSun&ThirteenCantons,21GreatPulteneyStreetW1F9NG;PeterheadGranite.
TheSwan,46,HammersmithBroadwayW60DZ;SwedishBonAccordRed&EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
TheThreeCrowns,175StokeNewingtonHighStreetN160LH;MarinaPearlLarvikite,SwedishImperialRed.
TheThreeJohns,73,WhiteLionStreetN1;MarinaPearlLarvikite,VånevikGranite.
TheWalrus&theCarpenter,45MonumentStreetEC3R8BU;Peterhead&CairngallGranites.
TheWellington,351,StrandWC2R0HS;SwedishBonAccordRed.
TheWilliamBlake,174-180,OldStreetEC1V9BP;BalmoralGranite.
TheYork,82IslingtonHighStreetN18EQ;EmeraldPearlLarvikite,PeterheadGranite.
TomCribb,36PantonStreetSW1Y4EA;foundationcourseofGraverforsGranite.
Verve Café Bar, 1 Upper St Martin’s Lane WC2H 9NY; Emerald Pearl, Marina Pearl, Småland Granite,SwedishBonAccordRed,DarkShapGranite,unknowngabbro.
FormerPubs
Co-OpBank(formerlyTheAngel),1IslingtonHighStreetN19TR;EmeraldPearlLarvikite.
HSBC(formerlyTheWhiteLion),25IslingtonHighStreetN19LJ;ImperialRedGranite,BluePearlLarvikite.
TheShampanRestaurant(formerlyThePhoenix),79BrickLane,E16QL;SwedishImperialRedGranite.
References&FurtherReadings
Andersson,U.B.,Högdahl,K.&Eklund,O.,2004,Foreward.,in:Högdahl,K.,Andersson,U.B.&Eklund,O.(eds.),
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TheTransscandinavianIgneousBelt(TIB)inSweden:areviewofitscharacterandevolution.GeologicalSurveyofFinland,SpecialPaper37,3-5.
Banerjee,J.,2007,TheBlackFriarPub,remodeledbyHerbertFuller-Clark(b.1869),3pp.,http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/pubs/9.html
Bradley,S.&Pevsner,N.,1999,PevsnerArchitecturalGuides;TheBuildingsofEngland:London1:TheCityofLondon.,YaleUniversityPress,Newhaven&London.,702pp.
Bradley,S.&Pevsner,N.,2003,PevsnerArchitecturalGuides;TheBuildingsofEngland:London6:Westminster.YaleUniversityPress.,872pp.
Brandwood,G.&Jephcoate,J.,2004,TheCAMRARegionalInventoryforLondon:PubInteriorsofSpecialHistoricInterest.,CampaignforRealAleLtd.StAlbans,52pp.
Cherry,B.&Pevsner,N.,1991,PevsnerArchitecturalGuides;TheBuildingsofEngland:London3:NorthWest.,YaleUniversityPress,Newhaven&London.,808pp.
Cherry,B.&Pevsner,N.,1998,PevsnerArchitecturalGuides;TheBuildingsofEngland:London4:North.,YaleUniversityPress,NewhavenandLondon.,810pp.
Cherry,B.&Pevsner,N.,2002,TheBuildingsofEngland:LondonNo.2,South.,YaleUniversityPress,Newhaven&London.,808pp.
Cherry,B.,O’Brien,C.&Pevsner,N.,2005,PevsnerArchitecturalGuides;TheBuildingsofEngland:London5:East.,YaleUniversityPress,Newhaven&London.,800pp.
Davies,P.,2012,London:HiddenInteriors.,EnglishHeritage&AtlanticPublishing.,448pp.
Elsden,J.V.&Howe,J.A.,1923,TheStonesofLondon.,CollieryGuardian,London.,205pp.
Girouard,M.,1984,VictorianPubs.,YaleUniversityPress,Newhaven&London.,260pp.
Glazner,A.F.&Johnson,B.R.,2013,LatecrystallizationofK-feldsparandtheparadoxofmegacrysticgranites.,ContributionstoMineralogy&Petrology,166,777–799.
Högdahl,K.,Andersson,U.B.&Eklund,O.(eds.),2004,TheTransscandinavianIgneousBelt(TIB)inSweden:areviewofitscharacterandevalution.GeologicalSurveyofFinland,SpecialPaper37,123pp.
Howe,J.A.,1910,TheGeologyofBuildingStones.,EdwardArnold,London.,455pp.
Lott,G.&Parry,S.,2013,Strategicstonestudy:abuildingstoneatlasofCumbria&theLakeDistrict.,EnglishHeritage.,17pp.http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/mines/stones/EH_atlases.html
Lott,G.,2005,ThedevelopmentoftheVictorianstoneindustry.,England’sHeritageinStone.,ProceedingsofaConference.,TempestAndersonHall,York,15-17March,2005.,TheEnglishStoneForum.,44-56.
Neumann,E-R.,1979,PetrogenesisoftheOsloRegionlarvikitesandassociatedrocks.,JournalofPetrology,21(3),499-531.
Price,M.T.,2007,DecorativeStone:TheCompleteSourcebook.ThamesandHudson,288pp.
Ramberg,I.B.,Bryhni,I.,Nøttvedt,A.&Rangnes,K.,2008,Themakingofaland:geologyofNorway.,NorskGeologiskForening,Trondheim,pp.268,293.
Renwick,W.G.,1909,MarbleandMarbleWorking.,D.VanNostrandCompanyInc.,NewYork.,226pp.
Selonen,O.&Suominen,V.,2003,NordicStone.,UNESCO|IAEG|GeologicalSurveyofFinland.,64pp.
Siddall,R.,2013,DecorativestonesintheRussellHotel:Anillustratedguide.,UrbanGeologyinLondonNo.7.,http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Homepage/walks/RussellHotelFoyer.pdf
Siddall,R.,2014,Waterloo&City:UrbanGeologyacrosstheThames,UrbanGeologyinLondonNo.17.,http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Homepage/walks/Waterloo&City.pdf
Stephenson,D.&Gould,D.,1995,BritishRegionalGeology:TheGrampianHighlands.4thEdition.BritishGeologicalSurvey,HMSO.,124-143.
Vernon,R.H.&Paterson,S.R.,2008,HowlateareK-feldsparmegacrystsingranites?,Lithos104,327–336.
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TheQueensHead,ActonRoad,WC1X9NBhas an elegantNeoclassical façade, seenhere in the early eveningwithlampsa-glow.Areyounottemptedtoenter?
TheMarlboroughArms,TorringtonPlaceWC1E,cladinMarinaPearlLarvikite.
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Howtocitethisarticle:Siddall,R,2014,London’spubgeology:aspotter’sguide.,UrbanGeologyinLondonNo.20,18pp.,http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Homepage/walks/PubGeology.pdf©DrRuthSiddall,UniversityCollegeLondon,GowerStreet,LondonWC1E6BT,UK:[email protected]://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Homepage/UrbanGeology.htm;Facebook|Cultural&
UrbanGeology|Twitter:@R_Siddall|#UrbanGeology#PubGeology
