Flint
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Flint is a type of compact crystalline silica found in chalk or limestone marly. It is extremely hard, although it is also quite brittle, and is similar to quartz, chert and jasper.
[edit] History
Flint’s durability is one of the reasons it has been used as a type of building material since antiquity. It is also portable, available and inexpensive. The Romans used it throughout the Roman Empire - including England - it in the core work of composite walls in forts and other structures.
Flint gained popularity in parts of the country where it was most commonly found. Throughout the Middle Ages, flint became ubiquitous as a building material for Saxon and Norman churches constructed in parts of the country where brick making was uncommon and other suitable types of stone were difficult to find. These flint regions - linked with the Chalk - include Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.
[edit] Advanced techniques
Over the years, flint building techniques have become more sophisticated. The 15th and 16th centuries saw the introduction of snapping (breaking the stone in half to expose the inner face) and knapping (taking snapped flint - which is typically round or oval - and squaring it into a cube). When combined with a practice known as flushwork, this could produce a variety of decorative effects that could be incorporated into important buildings.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, flint was slowly replaced by brick, although it experienced a regional revival in the late 18th century when the Romantics adopted it for their rustic outbuildings. The Victorians were also known to use flint for cottages, churches and country houses.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Download your free guide.
Four new types of prior approval for solar developments
Online Planning Portal application types from 5 September.
Election fails to spark construction industry revival
Contract awards and planning; post election.
Making diversity and inclusion easy for SMEs
The CIOB tool for companies with limited resources.
Sustainable Futures: Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living
BSRIA Briefing 2024, initial speakers announced.
Looking back at the UK's first Passivhaus leisure centre
Reflections on St Sidwell’s Point with CIAT.
A-Level results and electrical apprenticeships
Electrical Skills Index highlights areas with skills shortages.
One of the world's more unusual drive-throughs.
A quick introduction.
Hadrian's Wall Path and the national trails
The trails are heritage assets in their own right.
Articles on timely advice and hydraulic lime.
Building Designers Association of Australia
CIAT and BDAA sign Memorandum of Understanding.
Built Environment Inclusive partners issue statement committed to inclusion.
Building regulation requirements can have unintended consequences.
CIOB announces 2024/25 vice president
Sustainability champion Professor Saul Humphrey.
Accelerating towards a net-zero built environment.