Many of England's most famous cathedrals are adorned with Portland stone, and much of London was rebuilt in Portland and Purbeck stone after the Great Fire of London. Quarried from Tilly Whim Caves, Dancing Ledge and Winspit the Purbeck-Portland Limestone provided the building stone for houses such as, Lulworth Castle, Swanage Town Hall? and Durlston Castle. It was also shipped to London. Galleries were driven deep into the cliffs and the blocks of stone were loaded on barges using cliff-mounted cranes during periods of calm weather. Today the galleries lie derelict and are in a dangerous condition but they can be viewed safely from the coast path. Two Purbeck quarries working Portland Limestone remain open today, St Aldhelm's Quarry which provides a beautiful polished limestone known as Spangle and the very much larger Swanworth Quarry where the complete sequence of Portland Limestone is quarried as a source of aggregate.
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