Blue Lias
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blue Lias is a form of limestone, laid down in Jurassic times. It is the lowest of the three divisions of the Jurassic period and, as such, is also given the name Lower Lias. The name is given in England and Europe to a series of marine limestones underlying the Oolite. It is a prevalent feature of the cliffs around Lyme Regis and Charmouth, on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, where it exists in layers interspersed with softer clay. It is also present in Somerset, particularly around the Polden Hills and Glastonbury. It was used in Somerset as a building stone, a source of lime and as lime mortar. It also appears near Whitby in Yorkshire and Southam in Warwickshire where a pub is named after it. It is rich in fossil remains from the Jurassic era. The blue-grey colour is provided by its iron content, such as pyrites.
