Southwest on Cotham Road at Cotham Park, Cotham, Bristol

Image: © Robin Stott Taken: 26 Jun 2017

Cotham Road swings west a few metres along. The shops in view are in Cotham Road South. The limestone obelisk is one of a pair at the turn in to Cotham Park. A display in Bristol Museum and Art Gallery explains: "A pair of obelisks made of White Lias [limestone] with the upper surface of Cotham Marble used as naturally 'vermiculated' blocking. Many weathered blocks have had to be replaced with carved vermiculation." A closer look at Cotham Marble is Image The obelisks marked the entrance to Cotham Park, "developed by Francis and Richard Fry on the land of Cotham Lodge [after it was] demolished, 1846." They are listed Grade II: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1207692 "White and Blue Lias Limestone The muddy limestones from the top of the Triassic beds and bottom of the Jurassic are generally only used locally, on the outcrop – Horfield, Knowle, Cotham, Keynsham. Many of the beds tend not to weather well."

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