View of a stone carving. — The Temple of Flora, Stourhead. © David Lovell View the List entry

The Temple of Flora, Stourhead. © David Lovell View the List entry

Eleanor Coade, Pioneer of Coade Stone

Whilst the place of birth is up for debate, the influence she had on Georgian Architecture isn’t. Born in 1733, Eleanor Coade moved to London in 1760 and set up a business selling linen. In 1769 she entered a world vastly different to linen. She bought a factory yard in Narrow Wall Lambeth (which now sits under the Royal Festival Hall) which specialised in making a type of artificial stone. She began to experiment with her own formula..

Drawing depicting the Coade Stone Factory.

The Coade Stone Factory, now beneath the Royal Festival Hall. © Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

The artificial stone that Coade invented was one of the most widely used materials of the 18th century. Coade Stone was incredibly resistant to the elements. Wind, rain or coastal air struggled to erode it.

Statue of a lion on a plinth with Big Ben in the background.

Coade Stone lion on Westminster Bridge. Coade stone is a weather-proof artificial stone whose 18th-century recipe has since been lost. © Historic England Archive. AA98/05642.

This resistance and versatility made it incredibly popular. The sculptures come in all shapes, sizes and locations. Large or small, a delicate swan or a proud lion, monuments, architectural details or a garden ornament can all bare the name Coade.

Vintners Hall, Upper Thames Street, City of London. The swan at the entrance shows incredible, and lasting, detail that Coade Stone provided. © Historic England Archive. DP132002.

Where is your closest Coade Stone?

Explore the map below to see some of the many examples of where and how Coade Stone was used. Why not add some of your own images to the list entries by following the link!