An Independent Review of Bedrock and Building Stones. Written by John Moore for the North East Geological Society, June 2014.....This book is currently out of print

“I was a little apprehensive about a book on building stones, worrying it could be a tad dry; as I live in Northumberland, this book about Sunderland could leave me cold for this reason as well.

To be fair, I thought I should set up criteria for the book’s performance. These were:-

1. It should tell of the rock types in the buildings.
2. It should explain the sources of the rocks.
3. It should give a bit of geological background.
4. Hopefully it should inspire some interest in looking at Sunderland’s buildings.

Well having now read the slim A4 well presented volume I can report that Dr Lane has exceeded my criteria handsomely. The first twenty-odd pages are a comprehensive geological background of the rocks in the Sunderland and Durham area, well illustrated and written in an informal but very engaging style.  He then describes the types of stone identifying the best uses for each rock with some useful photographs which will set the reader thinking about building construction.

Possibly the largest part of the book is the description of four walks taking in the main rock features of the area and relating them to the buildings en route. The book is rounded off with some useful appendices.

So who would appreciate this book?  For anyone with an interest in local geology it is a “must have”. Residents of Sunderland and its environs would also enjoy his style and obvious passion for the area. But in the same way that my bookshelves are populated with books on geology of the Highlands, the Lakes, Dorset, Wales and many other areas as well as Northumberland, this book should find its way onto many shelves around the country.  It can stand up in its own right.

It has had two main effects on the reviewer. Thanks to Dr Lane I have itchy feet to visit the walks in the book but it has also helped me to look at my local buildings with a fresh and hopefully better informed eye.  And at £14.50 it’s a steal!”.