Purbeck

Dark-grey or grey-greenish hard limestone, called a marble, originating in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England, and almost entirely composed of univalve and bivalve remains fossilized and bound together. It was extensively employed by English medieval architects for colonnettes, shafts, monuments, effigies, and tombs because of its attractive properties, being capable of taking a spectacular polish. Patterned with fossils, the dark shiny marble shafts set against ordinary limestone contribute to the sumptuous richness of First Pointed Gothic interiors such as those of Lincoln, Salisbury, and Winchester Cathedrals, where clustered or compound piers may be found featuring the material.

Purbeck may refer to:

• Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in the English county of Dorset
• Purbeck (district), a local government district in the English county of Dorset
• Purbeck Hills, a range of hills in the English county of Dorset
• Purbeck Marble, a stone found on the Isle of Purbeck
• Purbeck Ball Clay, a ball clay found on the Isle of Purbeck

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