Beds

The Ragstone is found in beds varying from 6 inches to 3 feet in thickness, alternating with fine sand known as Hassock, which is frequently so consolidated as to form a stone that can be used for building.

1 Taken chiefly from Observations on Kentish Ragstone, by J. Whichcord.

The hassock is generally found adhering to the ragstone, and at the bed of junction organic remains often occur.

The ragstone itself is a very compact, heavy stone, which absorbs very little water, and resists the weather well.

The hassock, attached to it, is a calcareous sandstone, soft, porous, and very perishable under atmospheric influences.

There are several beds in a Kentish ragstone quarry; many of them are worthless. It may be interesting to mention a few of the most useful.

After a top layer of mould and loam there are two or three beds of hassock and ferruginous sand, after which come the more useful beds, the best of which are mentioned below in succession.

Land Rag

About 8 or 10 inches deep; dark grey; free working. Below this is a bed of fine hassock.

Header Laying

Thin dark stone used for headers.

Green Rag

10 inches thick; greenish colour; free working; not very sound. Fossils generally found on top bed. Below this is a layer of workable hassock.

Yellow Rag

Broken up into headers for pitching.

Pelesa yields large hard blocks 12 inches thick; difficult to quarry.

Next come two inferior and flinty beds interspersed with hassock.

Great Rag is a layer sometimes 3 feet deep, but split into two thicknesses full of cross fissures; no large stones from it. Broken up for headers, or makes the best description of lime. A very superior layer of hassock (often containing fossils) is found below this bed.

Newington Cleaves

A flinty bed; produces some large blocks. Then a flinty bed between two layers of hassock.

Whiteland Bridge produces blocks 12 feet long, any width, and 14 inches thick; stone very free working; bluish colour.