A short history of buildings in six stones

Many will be familiar with Neil MacGregor’s ‘A history of the world in 100 objects’ that retell humanity’s history through the objects we have made. This talk is on a much smaller scale with just six objects – all natural stones! But hopefully they will help us to see how our built heritage, our built landscapes, our towns, cities and villages, are shaped by the natural stones used in their construction.
Along the way we’ll look at the links to geography, society, technology, and politics – and, of course, the geology of the rocks from which the stones were taken.
Why six stones? Well there’s no real reason but six felt about right in the time we have! And choice of the six – Caen Limestone, Clunch, Portland Limestone, Welsh Slate, York Sandstone, and Aberdeen Granite – includes some of the most important building stones found in the UK but is also a personal choice that reflects my background and my work at Building Research Establishment for the last 37 years.