PENRITH SANDSTONE - Cumbria
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PENRITH SANDSTONE
270 million years old
Cumbria
The Penrith Sandstone is a continental sandstone, deposited by sand dunes in a hot, arid desert environment. The sand dunes were identical to the giant dunes that migrate across present day Sahara. What is now Britain was then situated at the centre of the continent of Pangaea, at about the same latitude as the Sahara Desert.
It consists of beautifully-rounded and wind-blasted sand grains. Each grain is coated with hematite (iron oxide), giving the sandstone its colour. It is widely used as a building stone.
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Size: approx. 9 x 7 x 4 centimetres
Weight: 311 grams
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