Purbeck stone

The Purbeck Group is a sequence of sedimentary rocks that were deposited in a shallow freshwater to brackish lagoonal setting.

[2] The Purbeck Group rocks are found beneath superficial deposits from Worbarrow Tout in the west, to Peveril Point in the east.

The sequence is affected by the Purbeck Monocline and dips moderately steeply to the north along its whole outcrop.

The dark colour of the Purbeck Marble meant that it was used for its decorative quality in churches and cathedrals across England, particularly for items such as fonts, tombs, flooring and shafts.

[1] A 1.5-tonne block of Purbeck stone was set at the entrance to Shitterton, Dorset since 2010 in an effort to deter theft.