Stone, stonework

Deterioration of ancient stonework appears to have accelerated very markedly in many places in the present century Winkler [109], whose treatise on the durability of stone is the major source for the material in this section, shows photographs of early eighteenth century sandstone statues in places close to the Rhine—Ruhr industrial region. After two hundred years, at the beginning of the present century, these statues had clearly delineated features of faces, hands, etc. Sixty years later, they appeared rough outlines, faceless and handless. If this deterioration indeed owes nothing to the military activities of two world wars, it is a remarkable illustration of the effects of industrial pollution of the atmosphere. 

Elevation of St Matthew s R.C. Church, Newtownards Rd, Belfast (1881-3). Note the catastrophic material loss from what was originally an extensively black-crusted wall. The roughly dressed stonework is a variety of Scrabo stone, witi the window dressings and string course in a red sandstone, possibly of Scottish origin. 

---