On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 19:47:33 GMT, "." wrote:



The stonework looks like the industrial grime of old Leeds has already
been cleaned off, except for this dark staining which won't come out.
It could perhaps have been caused by metal salts, dissolved by acid
rain from a weathervane or some other metal ornament (conveniently,
just above the top of the picture). The main staining on the gable
looks consistent with rainwater running down the curved finial in two
streams, and then down the wall and over the arch.


If so one wonders how much ironmongery may lie behind that litlle
round top finial. An old Co-op building near here has the top piece of
the finial fastened to the top of the gable wall with iron bands. If
there was an iron feature up there it would need a more substantial
fastening than that rounded finial.

I think it's safe to say that whatever it is, it's not coming out of the
stonework or from below ) so what's left is spread by rainwater ?

you're right, there /may/ be an iron geegaw on top of the arch and the
pointing does look a bit bright and out of place so it may have been
restored. odd how that staining doesn't seem to have affected the
pointing, isn't it ?

Unless they took down the geegaw when they did the repointing. Sadly
the location of the building is not known. It may not even exist any
more.

perhaps the staining is organic and it likes the taste
of the stone and doesn't like the taste of whatever is in the pointing ?


Thanks.

DG