Limestone on a war grave

[Lankyman]

I was recently in a north Lancashire cemetery and noticed a war grave headstone which differed markedly from the usual smooth, pale Portland limestone. I've seen others that were made of dark slate. At first I thought it might be made of cement as it was quite rough but closer inspection showed masses of crinoids so I wondered if it was a Yoredale limestone - does anyone know if it is? The date was 1919.

 

[wellyjen]

Being 1919, there would have been heavy recent demand for war grave headstones. Maybe they were using stone they would otherwise not have.

 

[langcliffe]

Local stone was sometimes used. There are slate Commonwealth War Grave headstones in North Wales, for example.

 

[Lankyman]

Local stone was sometimes used. There are slate Commonwealth War Grave headstones in North Wales, for example.

Yes, I was looking at some slate ones on Anglesey just last week and have seen them on some of the Scottish islands. This particular grave is in Garstang. The closest limestone I know of with crinoids in is over the Trough of Bowland near Dunsop Bridge.

 

[mikem]

About the same distance from warton crags (trowbarrow definitely has crinoids, but not that colour):

Trowbarrow Quarry

I had a great day last week, discovering again the routes at Trowbarrow Quarry. Trowbarrow is a disused limestone quarry near Silverdale a...

adriannelhams.blogspot.com

 

[Lankyman]

About the same distance from warton crags (trowbarrow definitely has crinoids, but not that colour):

Trowbarrow Quarry

I had a great day last week, discovering again the routes at Trowbarrow Quarry. Trowbarrow is a disused limestone quarry near Silverdale a...

adriannelhams.blogspot.com

For years Trowbarrow was one of my local climbing crags and I used to be one of the volunteer conservation team. The bulk of the fossils there are trace fossils (just read that the creatures that made them were burrowing and excreting there way through the sediment and that's what we see today on faces like Main Wall). I can honestly say I never saw any crinoids there.

 

[martinr]

For years Trowbarrow was one of my local climbing crags and I used to be one of the volunteer conservation team. The bulk of the fossils there are trace fossils (just read that the creatures that made them were burrowing and excreting there way through the sediment and that's what we see today on faces like Main Wall). I can honestly say I never saw any crinoids there.

The stone for the headstone is more likely to be from here:

Salthill Quarry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Clitheroe "is probably the best area to collect fossil crinoids of any age in England."

see also

Crinoid fossils at Salthill Quarry nature reserve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, UK Stock Photo - Alamy

Download this stock image: Crinoid fossils at Salthill Quarry nature reserve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, UK. - DG7CTK from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

www.alamy.com

 

[Lankyman]

The stone for the headstone is more likely to be from here:

Salthill Quarry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

see also

Crinoid fossils at Salthill Quarry nature reserve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, UK Stock Photo - Alamy

Download this stock image: Crinoid fossils at Salthill Quarry nature reserve in Clitheroe, Lancashire, UK. - DG7CTK from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

www.alamy.com

That does look more like the headstone material.