Totternhoe Stone

It weathers rather badly in external use, but when used as internal carved decoration, it has remained in good condition for centuries.

The stone, although fine-grained, is siliceous, and partial cementing with silica accounts for its relative hardness.

It forms a distinct escarpment at several locations at the base of the Chiltern ridge, notably at Totternhoe, Bedfordshire 51°53′24″N 0°34′34″W / 51.89°N 0.576°W / 51.89; -0.576, where it is at its thickest.

[1] It is managed as a nature reserve by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

This has been designated an SSSI called Totternhoe Stone Pit, as a Geological Conservation Review site.

The characteristic checkerboard design of many Bedfordshire churches built with alternating chalk and flint blocks: St Mary's (Luton) .