Castle Espie Limestone

Castle Espie Carboniferous limestone was quarried outside Comber, County Down and mainly used for lime production. It is occasionally seen as dressing stone on older buildings and monuments, and as headstones in local graveyards. It is distinctively pink to red in colour, often with visible fossils.

It is reasonably durable over time, occasional blocks show heavy flaking. This stone type is only seen in County Down and the only quarry closed in the late 1800’s and was flooded to form the ponds for Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre.