Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

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view of stone 376

Corsi 376, approx. 145 x 73 x 40 mm, © Oxford University Museum of Natural History

OUMNH Number: 376  
Name and quarry location: Derbyshire 'alabaster', from Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England; perhaps the Bondog-Hole mine  
Geological description: Very pure colourless banded speleothem calcite with a small area of the host Carboniferous Limestone.  
Comments: This specimen was given to Corsi by the 6th Duke of Devonshire following the Duke's visit to see Corsi's collection in 1824. The exact location is uncertain. It possibly comes from the Hopton Wood stone quarries, the source of Hopton Wood marble (Carboniferous crinoidal limestone), which lie on the edge of the village of Middleton. Jim Rieuwerts (pers.comm.) has suggested that Bondog-Hole mine, a natural cavern with speleothems which was mined for galena in the latter part of the 18th century, is a possible source.  
References: Walters (1980) 319  
Further information:
 


Corsi's classification: Class 1. Marbles; Section 4. Concretionary marbles; Species 1. Alabasters; ii. Italian alabasters  
Corsi's text: 103.43 Alabastro di Middleton presso Wirkswirtt in Inghilterra  

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