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118-508: Senate House is the administrative centre of the University of London , situated in the heart of Bloomsbury , London, immediately to the north of the British Museum . The Art Deco building was constructed between 1932 and 1937 as the first phase of a large uncompleted scheme designed for the university by Charles Holden . It consists of 19 floors and is 210 feet (64 m) high. During

236-474: A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Albion Stone PLC now extract all their stone through mining which dramatically reduces the impact on the environment and local residents. Jordan's Mine is currently the biggest mine on Portland. Bowers Quarry has been operational since the late 18th century. It has been leased from The Crown Estate since 1979, and in 2002 it became the site of the first Portland stone mine by Albion Stone PLC. Extraction from this site

354-594: A "teaching university" for London. UCL and KCL considered separating from the university to form a separate university, variously known as the Albert University, Gresham University and Westminster University. Following two royal commissions the University of London Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 62) was passed, reforming the university and giving it a federal structure with responsibility for monitoring course content and academic standards within its institutions. This

472-521: A Portland stone façade to complete its stripped Classical design. After the Second World War (1939–1945), the bombed out centres of many English towns and cities, such as Plymouth , Bristol , Coventry and London were reconstructed using vast facades of Portland stone. Many of the buildings surrounding the flagship Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds are clad in Portland stone, including

590-506: A character as a University." This unusual remit may have been inspired by the fact that William Beveridge , having just become director of LSE, upon asking a taxi driver to take him to the University of London was met with the response "Oh, you mean the place near the Royal School of Needlework ". Holden responded by designing Senate House , the current headquarters of the university, and at

708-625: A considerable central London estate of 12 hectares of freehold land in Bloomsbury , near Russell Square tube station . Some of the university's colleges have their main buildings on the estate. The Bloomsbury Campus also contains eight Halls of Residence and Senate House , which houses Senate House Library , the chancellor's official residence and previously housed the School of Slavonic and East European Studies , now part of University College London (UCL) and housed in its own new building. Almost all of

826-552: A court), The Dark Knight Rises (a costume ball), Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (a war office), Fast & Furious 6 (Moscow Interpol HQ), Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Moscow restaurant), No Time to Die (MI6 Reception) and The 355 (a Shanghai casino). For television, the building has featured in Jeeves and Wooster (the exterior of Wooster's Manhattan apartment building), Killing Eve , and other programmes. Senate House

944-514: A general degree awarding body for the schools was discussed in the medical press and in evidence taken by the Select Committee on Medical Education. However, the blocking of a bill to open up Oxford and Cambridge degrees to dissenters led to renewed pressure on the Government to grant degree awarding powers to an institution that would not apply religious tests, particularly as the degrees of

1062-585: A great architectural feature ... an academic island in swirling tides of traffic, a world of learning in a world of affairs." The grand art deco design was the work of Charles Holden , who was appointed as architect in March 1931 from a short list which also included Giles Gilbert Scott , Percy Scott Worthington , and Arnold Dunbar Smith . In making their choice, Beveridge and the Principal, Edwin Deller, were influenced by

1180-599: A lack of funds, the full design was gradually cut back, and only the Senate House and Library were completed in 1937, although the external flanking wings of the north-eastern courtyard were not constructed. As he had with his earlier buildings, Holden also prepared the designs for the individual elements of the interior design. The completion of the buildings for the Institute of Education and the School of Oriental Studies followed, but

1298-493: A machine. Slots are cut into the top, bottom, sides and middle of the stone. A flat steel pillow is inserted into the middle cut and slowly inflated with water. The stones are gently broken off at the back without placing any stress on the resulting blocks. This method of extraction is significantly more expensive than blasting, but results in a higher yield thereby saving valuable reserves for future generations. The environmental benefits are substantial as mining significantly reduces

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1416-447: A marine environment, on the floor of a shallow, warm, sub-tropical sea probably near land (as evidenced by fossilised driftwood, which is not uncommon). When seawater is warmed by the sun, its capacity to hold dissolved gas is reduced; consequently, dissolved carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is released into the atmosphere as a gas. Calcium and bicarbonate ions within the water are then able to combine, to form calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) as

1534-612: A merger, raising the question of the future of the University of London and the smaller colleges within it. Subsequently, considerable opposition from academic staff of both UCL and Imperial led to a rejection of the merger. Despite this failure, the trend of decentralising power continued. A significant development in this process was the closing down of the Convocation of all the university's alumni in October 2003; this recognised that individual college alumni associations were now increasingly

1652-541: A mine as an extension from an existing quarry). Albion Stone Plc began the process to open this mine in 2015 and reserves are estimated to last for 50 years (2066). Independent Quarry and Admiralty Quarry are both owned by The Crown Estate and have been leased since 1982. These quarries have been worked since the mid-19th century with the final dimension stones coming out of Independent in 2006, although some stocks of Portland stone block still remain. Coombefield Quarry , located near Southwell has been open cast quarried over

1770-410: A modernist to please the modernists." Senate House remains a prominent landmark throughout Bloomsbury and is visible from some distance away. The building was listed as Grade II* in 1969. Following a multimillion-pound refurbishment in 2006, Senate House has also become a conference and event venue playing host to some of the city's most prestigious events including London Fashion Week . Following

1888-499: A new charter opened up the examinations to everyone, effectively abolishing the weak link between the university and the colleges. This led the Earl of Kimberley , a member of the university's senate, to tell the House of Lords in 1888 "that there were no Colleges affiliated to the University of London, though there were some many years ago". The reforms of 1858 also incorporated the graduates of

2006-498: A number of residential and catering units further afield and the premises of the University of London Institute in Paris , which offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in French and historical studies. The university's board of trustees, the governing and executive body of the university, comprises eleven appointed independent persons – all of whom are non-executive; the vice-chancellor,

2124-647: A popularity amongst masons and architects that has endured ever since. The East side of Buckingham Palace , the official London residence of King Charles III , including the balcony, was faced with Portland stone, first in 1854 and again in 1913. The Victoria Memorial (unveiled 1911) is also made of it. Inigo Jones (1573–1652) used Portland stone to build the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall in 1620. Sir Christopher Wren used nearly one million cubic feet to rebuild St. Paul's Cathedral and many other minor churches after

2242-478: A precipitate. The process of limescale build up in a kettle in hard-water areas is similar. Calcium carbonate is the principal constituent of most limestones. Billions of minute crystals of precipitated calcium carbonate (called calcite ) accumulated forming lime mud (called micrite ) which covered the sea floor. Small particles of sand or organic detritus, such as shell fragments, formed a nucleus, which became coated with layers of calcite as they were rolled around in

2360-560: A teaching university in London had resulted in the university's reconstitution as a federal institution, went even further than becoming schools of the university and were actually merged into it. UCL's merger, under the University College London (Transfer) Act 1905 ( 5 Edw. 7 . c. xci), happened in 1907. The charter of 1836 was surrendered and all of UCL's property became the University of London's. King's College followed in 1910 under

2478-451: Is Rufus Castle at Church Ope Cove, Portland. The original structure was probably built around 1080, rebuilt around 1259 and rebuilt yet again around 1450, which is the likely date of the walls seen today. The first known Portland stone quarries were situated on the northeastern coast of the Isle, close to Rufus Castle, where huge landslips made the stone more easily accessible, and the proximity of

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2596-567: Is a prominent location in the first chapters of the 1951 post-apocalyptic novel The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham , and was thus used (as itself) in the television adaptation The Day of the Triffids . University of London The University of London ( UoL ; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals ) is a federal public research university located in London , England , United Kingdom . The university

2714-721: Is also built with Portland stone, as are the public buildings in Cardiff's civic centre. Architect Charles Holden significantly used the stone in his major commissions of the 1920s and 1930s, including Senate House and 55 Broadway , the home of the London Underground . The 1929 steel framed building (one of the first erected in the United Kingdom) of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine , based in Keppel Street, has

2832-462: Is also worth noting that stone tends to split much more easily parallel to bedding planes (called graining) than perpendicular to them (called cutting). In 1999, Italian stone cutting equipment, originally designed for use in Tuscany 's marble quarries was imported by Albion Stone and applied to the extraction of Portland stone. This new technology eliminated the need for blasting, significantly improved

2950-475: Is now completely underground, with the original Bowers Mine in the extreme southern end of the quarry and the High Wall Extraction on the eastern and south east boundaries. High Wall Extraction is a series of small mines that extract otherwise wasted stone that sits between the final faces of the quarry and the actual boundary of the site. Stonehills Mine is the first completely new mine on Portland (not

3068-460: Is part of the Inmosthay Quarry in the centre of the island, which also includes Fancy Beach. The quarry has been worked since the late 19th century. Albion Stone leases the southern section from The Crown Estate and purchased the northern part of the site in 2006. The majority of the southern reserves lie under the grounds of the local cricket club. To avoid disturbing the site at surface level,

3186-627: Is popular with the film and television industries as a shooting location; often for official buildings. It inspired the description of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four . Films that have featured the building include the 1995 version of Richard III (interior of a government building), the 1984 film of Nineteen Eighty-Four (exterior of the apartment building where O'Brien lives), Blue Ice (a hotel), Spy Game (lobby of CIA Headquarters), Batman Begins (lobby of

3304-568: Is privately owned by Portland Stone Firms. Open cast quarrying provides quicker extraction of raw block dimension stone whilst maintaining its integrity. The majority of buildings in London today use Portland which has been quarried using the same methods over the last 60 years. Broadcroft Quarry is located on the eastern side of the island and is a part of the open cast quarries used for St Paul's Cathedral. Privately owned by Portland Stone Firms Limited there are over 20 years of reserves left and still being actively quarried. The coastal strip toward

3422-631: The First World War the University of London , then based at the Imperial Institute in Kensington was in urgent need of new office and teaching space to allow for its growth and expansion. In 1921, the government bought 11 acres (4.5 ha) of land in Bloomsbury from the Duke of Bedford to provide a new site for the university. However, many within the university were opposed to a move, and, in 1926,

3540-514: The Great Fire of London in 1666. All of the stone used by Wren was transported by sailing barge from Portland to the centre of London via the sea and then up the Thames. Wren's widespread use of Portland stone firmly established it as London's "local stone" and as one of the best-loved British building stones. Other famous London buildings constructed of Portland stone are The British Museum (1753) with

3658-506: The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain and supported by a number of high-profile politicians, journalists and academics, including John McDonnell , Owen Jones , Ken Loach and David Graeber came into effect. This campaign of 'direct action' aims to put pressure on the University of London to bring outsourced workers back into the employment of the university by targeting what is a major source of both prestige and revenue for

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3776-722: The Isle of Portland in Dorset , England. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles , notably in major public buildings in London such as St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace . Portland stone is also exported to many countries, being used for example at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Portland stone formed in

3894-530: The King's College London (Transfer) Act 1908 ( 8 Edw. 7 . c. xxxix). This was a slightly more complicated case, as the theological department of the college (founded in 1846) did not merge into the university but maintained a separate legal existence under King's College's 1829 charter. The expansion of the university's role meant that the Burlington Garden premises were insufficient, and in March 1900 it moved to

4012-435: The London School of Economics . Regent's Park College , which had affiliated in 1841, became an official divinity school of the university in 1901 (the new statutes having given London the right to award degrees in theology) and Richmond (Theological) College followed as a divinity school of the university in 1902; Goldsmiths College joined in 1904; Imperial College was founded in 1907; Queen Mary College joined in 1915;

4130-878: The Michael Sadler Building, the Chemistry and Engineering buildings and the new Laidlaw Library. Oxford typically uses oolitic limestone in its buildings, and the Ashmolean Museum has been refurbished using a large amount of Portland stone. Portland stone has also been used across the world. Examples include the UN building in New York, the Casino Kursaal in Belgium and the Auckland War Memorial Museum . Most of

4248-508: The Royal Albert Hall were replaced by individual ceremonies at the colleges. One of the largest shifts in power of this period came in 1993, when HEFCE (now the Office for Students, OfS ) switched from funding the University of London, which then allocated money to the colleges, to funding the colleges directly and them paying a contribution to the university. There was also a tendency in

4366-539: The School of Advanced Study is housed in Senate House and neighbouring Stewart House. The university also owns many of the squares that formed part of the Bedford Estate, including Gordon Square , Tavistock Square , Torrington Square and Woburn Square , as well as several properties outside Bloomsbury, with many of the university's colleges and institutes occupying their own estates across London: The university also has several properties outside London, including

4484-490: The School of Oriental and African Studies was founded in 1916; and Birkbeck College , which was founded in 1823, joined in 1920. The previous provision for colleges outside London was not abandoned on federation, instead London offered two routes to degrees: "internal" degrees offered by schools of the university and "external" degrees offered at other colleges (now the University of London flexible and distance learning programmes ). UCL and King's College, whose campaign for

4602-595: The Second World War , the building's use by the Ministry of Information inspired two works of fiction by English writers. The earliest, Graham Greene 's novel The Ministry of Fear (1943), inspired a 1944 film adaptation directed by Fritz Lang set in Bloomsbury. The description of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell 's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) evokes the Senate House. His wife Eileen worked in

4720-516: The Second World War , the colleges of the university (with the exception of Birkbeck) and their students left London for safer parts of the UK, while Senate House was used by the Ministry of Information , with its roof becoming an observation point for the Royal Observer Corps . Though the building was hit by bombs several times, it emerged from the war largely unscathed; rumour at the time had it that

4838-413: The University of London Press . All universities are different, but some are more different than others. The University of London is the most different of them all. University College London (UCL) was founded under the name "London University" (but without recognition by the state) in 1826 as a secular alternative to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge , which limited their degrees to members of

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4956-437: The established Church of England . As a result of the controversy surrounding UCL's establishment, King's College London was founded as an Anglican college by royal charter in 1829. In 1830, UCL applied for a royal charter as a university which would allow it to confer degrees. This was rejected, but renewed in 1834. In response to this, opposition to "exclusive" rights grew among the London medical schools. The idea of

5074-471: The largest university by number of students in the United Kingdom. For most practical purposes, ranging from admissions to funding, the member institutions operate on an independent basis, with many awarding their own degrees whilst remaining in the federal university. Under the 2018 act, member institutions ceased to be termed colleges and gained the right to seek university status without having to leave

5192-508: The third-oldest university in England . It moved to a federal structure with constituent colleges in 1900. It is now incorporated by its fourth (1863) royal charter and governed by the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii). The university consists of 17 member institutions and three central academic bodies. The university has around 48,000 distance learning external students and around 219,410 campus-based internal students , making it

5310-640: The "New Build (Modern Non-Load-bearing Stone) Award" in the 2006 Natural Stone Awards. Portland stone has been designated by the International Union of Geological Sciences as a Global Heritage Stone Resource . Following the First World War, Sir Edwin Lutyens used Portland stone (quarried from the bottom of Wakeham) to construct the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall. Erected in 1920, The Cenotaph commemorates

5428-571: The 1930s. Manchester buildings with Portland stone exterior include 100 King Street (1935), Arkwright House (1937), St. James Buildings (1912), Manchester Central Library (1934), Kendal Milne (1939) and Sunlight House (1932). Two of Liverpool's Three Graces , the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building , are clad in Portland stone which surrounds their reinforced concrete frames. The Nottingham Council House , completed in 1929,

5546-681: The Collegiate Council and board of trustees, responsible for matters of academic policy. The Collegiate Council is made up of the heads of member institutions of the university. The 12 institutes, or Listed Bodies , within the University of London offer courses leading to degrees that are both examined and awarded by the University of London. Additionally, twelve universities in England, several in Canada and many in other Commonwealth countries (notably in East Africa) began life as associate colleges of

5664-637: The Duke bought back the land. However, the election of William Beveridge to the post of vice-chancellor of the university in June 1926 was highly significant as Beveridge supported a move to Bloomsbury. Beveridge persuaded the Rockefeller Foundation to donate £400,000 to the university and the original site was reacquired in 1927. Beveridge saw the university as one "for the nation and the world, drawing from overseas as many students as Oxford and Cambridge and all

5782-532: The Duke of Bedford laid out for good domestic houses – has taken on quite a different character." Evelyn Waugh , in Put Out More Flags (1942), describes it as "the vast bulk of London University insulting the autumnal sky." Positive comments came from functionalist architect Erich Mendelsohn in 1938, who wrote to Holden that he was "very much taken and am convinced that there is no finer building in London." Architectural historian Arnold Whittick described

5900-547: The Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature, and the Palaeography room's collection of western European manuscripts . The library also holds over 170,000 theses by graduate students. From 2006 onwards, the library has been undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment process. The library is also home to the University of London archives, which include the central archive of the university itself and many other collections, including

6018-451: The Greek for "egg-shaped" or "egg-stone"), became partially cemented together (or lithified) by more calcite, to form the oolitic limestone that is called Portland stone. The degree of cementation in Portland stone is such that the stone is sufficiently well cemented to allow it to resist weathering, but not so well cemented that it cannot be readily worked (cut and carved) by masons. This is one of

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6136-591: The Imperial Institute in South Kensington . However, its continued rapid expansion meant that it had outgrown its new premises by the 1920s, requiring yet another move. A large parcel of land in Bloomsbury near the British Museum was acquired from the Duke of Bedford and Charles Holden was appointed architect with the instruction to create a building "not to suggest a passing fashion inappropriate to buildings which will house an institution of so permanent

6254-488: The London University College, or at any similar institution which his Majesty might please hereafter to name". Following the issuing of its charter on 28 November 1836, the new University of London started drawing up regulations for degrees in March 1837. The death of William IV in June, however, resulted in a problem – the charter had been granted "during our Royal will and pleasure", meaning it

6372-604: The Second World War. As of 2004 the London University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), drawn from 52 universities and colleges in the London area (not just the University of London), was the largest UOTC in the country, with about 400 officer cadets. It has been based at Yeomanry House in Handel Street, London since 1992. In 2011, Canterbury Company was founded to recruit officer cadets from universities in Kent. During

6490-802: The UCL School of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Life Sciences. This was followed on 2 December 2014 by the Institute of Education also merging with UCL, becoming the UCL Institute of Education. Since 2010, the university has been outsourcing support services such as cleaning and portering. This has prompted industrial action by the largely Latin American workforce under the "3Cosas" campaign (the 3Cosas – 3 things – being sick pay , holiday pay , and pensions for outsourced workers on parity with staff employed directly by

6608-450: The University of London Act 2018 (c. iii), a member institution is defined as "an educational, academic or research institution which is a constituent member of the University and has for the time being―(a) the status of a college under the statutes; or (b) the status of a university". As of February 2019, 12 of the colleges of the university have said they are seeking university status. This does not affect their status as member institution of

6726-417: The University of London Library) occupies the fourth to the 18th floors of the building, with the public areas of the library on the fourth to seventh floors. The library is open to staff and students of all colleges within the university (although levels of access differ between institutions) and contains material relevant chiefly to arts, humanities, and social science subjects. The library is administered by

6844-472: The authority to grant degrees in theology, considered the senior faculty in the other three English universities. In medicine, the university was given the right to determine which medical schools provided sufficient medical training. In arts and law, by contrast, it would examine students from UCL, King's College, or any other institution granted a royal warrant, effectively giving the government control of which institutions could submit students for examination by

6962-420: The building as a "static massive pyramid ... obviously designed to last for a thousand years", but thought "the interior is more pleasing than the exterior. There is essentially the atmosphere of dignity, serenity and repose that one associates with the architecture of ancient Greece." Nikolaus Pevsner was less enthusiastic. He described its style as "strangely semi-traditional, undecided modernism" and summarised

7080-456: The building for the Censorship Department of the Ministry of Information. Today the main building houses the University of London's Central Academic Bodies and activities, including the offices of the vice-chancellor of the university, the entire collection of the Senate House Library, six of the eight research institutes of the School of Advanced Study , as well as departments of distance learning provider University of London Worldwide . After

7198-401: The building of Chelsea Barracks , Wilkins Terrace at UCL University College London , St James's Market Haymarket, London and Green Park tube station . Portland stone is prevalent in Manchester despite the historical preferred use of hard-wearing materials, such as Burmantofts and sandstone to resist the harsh industrial environment. Portland stone was mostly used in Manchester during

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7316-401: The central authorities in Senate House to the individual colleges. In the same period, UCL and King's College regained their legal independence via acts of parliament and the issuing of new royal charters. UCL was reincorporated in 1977, while King's College's new charter in 1980 reunited the main body of the college with the corporation formed in 1829. In 1992 centralised graduation ceremonies at

7434-411: The central university as part the Senate House Libraries , and in 2005 had more than 32,000 registered users. It holds around three million volumes, including 120,000 volumes printed before 1851. The library started with the foundation of the University of London in 1836, but began to develop from 1871 when a book fund was started. Along with a subscription to over 5,200 journals, other resources include

7552-409: The centre of focus for alumni. However, the university continued to grow even as it moved to a looser federation, and, in 2005, admitted the Central School of Speech and Drama . On 9 December 2005, Imperial College became the second constituent body (after Regent's Park College) to make a formal decision to leave the university. Its council announced that it was beginning negotiations to withdraw from

7670-418: The company has applied and received permission to extract the stone using mining rather than quarrying techniques. The reserves to the north will be quarried using the diamond bladed cutting machines, hydro bags and wire saws to shape the blocks. This process avoids the use of dusty and noisy blasting as the primary extraction method, thereby protecting the surrounding environment, which has been designated as

7788-422: The deputy vice chancellor and four heads of member institutions, appointed by the Collegiate Council. The board of trustees is supported by the Collegiate Council, which comprises the heads of the member institutions of the university, the deputy vice-chancellor, the dean and chief executive of the School of Advanced Study, the chief executive of the University of London Worldwide and the Collegiate Council's chair,

7906-434: The federal University of London as they had done previously, from the start of the academic year starting in Autumn 2007. Although this plan to award their own degrees did not amount to a decision to leave the University of London, the THES suggested that this "rais[ed] new doubts about the future of the federal University of London". The School of Pharmacy, University of London , merged with UCL on 1 January 2012, becoming

8024-436: The federal university: Birkbeck, City, Goldsmiths, King's College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, St George's, and University College London have all indicated that they intend to do so. As of 2015, there are around 2 million University of London alumni across

8142-412: The first major British higher education institution to close since the medieval University of Northampton in 1265. Its library of more than 250,000 volumes was moved to Senate House Library . In 2019, the University of London Press , founded in 1910, was relaunched as a fully open-access publisher specializing in "distinctive scholarship at the forefront of the Humanities ". The university owns

8260-426: The first staff moved in during 1936, the university's centenary year. On 27 November 1936, a group of university officials, led by the Principal, Sir Edwin Deller, went out to inspect the work in progress. Suddenly, without warning, a skip being pushed by a workman overhead accidentally fell down and hit them. All were rushed to University College Hospital , where three days later, Deller died of his injuries. Due to

8378-401: The first university in the UK to admit women to degrees, via the grant of a supplemental charter. Four female students obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1880 and two obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in 1881, again the first in the country. In the late 19th century, the university came under criticism for merely serving as a centre for the administration of tests, and there were calls for

8496-436: The forces necessary to loosen the stone to the point where it can be easily removed using large wheeled loaders . Splitting stone, using pneumatic drills is arduous work and so wire-saws have been introduced into the quarries, replacing much of the plug and feather cutting. Mining in Portland is done by using a room and pillar method. The mine is advanced by extracting the stone using an abrasive tool chain cutter mounted on

8614-440: The humanities and social sciences) are or were based in Senate House. SOAS moved into the north block of Senate House from 2016. The main entrance is from Malet Street to the west and the rear entrance from Russell Square to the east. In recent years, Senate House has been associated with high-profile industrial relations disputes. In December 2018, a boycott of the University of London , including Senate House, organised by

8732-455: The impact on wildlife and the local community with reduced noise and dust. Portland's freestone has almost certainly been used as a building material since Roman times. The many well crafted Roman sarcophagi (stone coffins and matching lids, hewn from single large blocks of Portland stone) that have been unearthed locally over the years, testify to the skill of their makers. The earliest known building to be constructed using Portland stone

8850-754: The important civic and administrative buildings which survive from 18th and 19th century Dublin , Ireland, known then as "the second city of the Empire", are of Portland stone, including City Hall (1779), the Houses of Parliament (1767), the Custom House (1791), the National Gallery (1864) and the General Post Office (1818). More recent projects include the BBC Broadcasting House in London, which won

8968-409: The last 80 years and is one of three privately owned quarries by Portland Stone Firms Ltd, the largest landholder on the island. The quarry is nearing the end of its life and will be regenerated as a holiday caravan park to boost local tourism on the island. Perryfield Quarry is found towards the middle of the island and being actively open cast quarried. There are over 20 years of reserves left which

9086-415: The late 20th century for smaller colleges to be amalgamated into larger "super-colleges". Some of the larger colleges (most notably UCL, King's College, LSE and Imperial) periodically put forward the possibility of their departure from the university, although no steps were taken to actually putting this into action until the early 21st century. In 2002, Imperial College and UCL mooted the possibility of

9204-564: The millions of people killed in this and subsequent conflicts. The RAF Bomber Command Memorial in London's Green Park commemorates the 55,573 crew members of the RAF's Bomber Command who were killed between 1939 and 1945. The gravestones for British personnel killed in the First and Second World Wars were made out of Portland stone. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission use Portland Limestone supplier Albion Stone's Portland Basebed. Portland stone

9322-484: The muddy micrite. Portland stone measures 3.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness . The calcite gradually accumulated (by accretion) around the fragments of shell in concentric layers, forming small balls (of less than 0.5 mm diameter). This process is similar to the way in which a snowball grows in size as it is rolled around in the snow. Over time, countless billions of these balls, known as " ooids " or "ooliths" (from

9440-405: The new University of Durham were also to be closed to non-Anglicans. In 1835, the government announced the response to UCL's petition for a charter. Two charters would be issued, one to UCL incorporating it as a college rather than a university, without degree awarding powers, and a second "establishing a Metropolitan University, with power to grant academical degrees to those who should study at

9558-790: The new WCEC extension in Portland Roach which was short-listed for the Stirling Prize in 2017, Somerset House (1792), the General Post Office (1829), the Bank of England , the Mansion House and the National Gallery . Tower Bridge is partly clad in Portland stone (along with Cornish granite ). Portland stone was used in 1923 to build the supporting pillar of the Grace Gates at Lord's Cricket Ground . Recently, Portland stone has been used in

9676-459: The onset of the Second World War prevented any further progress on the full scheme. The architectural character and scale of the building has received both positive and negative criticism since its construction. Steen Eiler Rasmussen , a friend of Holden, commented that, with the expansive design, "the London University is swallowing more and more of the old houses, and this quarter – which

9794-534: The other English universities together." and specified that "the central symbol of the University on the Bloomsbury site can not fittingly look like an imitation of any other university, it must not be a replica from the Middle Ages. It should be something that could not have been built by any earlier generation than this, and can only be at home in London ... (the building) means a chance to enrich London – to give London at its heart not just more streets and shops ... but

9912-513: The papers of social reformer Charles Booth , philosopher Herbert Spencer , actress and mystic Florence Farr , author and artist Thomas Sturge Moore , writer Opal Whiteley , and publishing company Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd . Since June 2021, the librarian has been Catríona Cannon ; she is also director of the Library Transformation Programme for the University of London. Due to its imposing architecture, Senate House

10030-399: The perimeter façade and enclosing a series of courtyards. The scheme was to be topped by two towers; the taller Senate House and a smaller one to the north. The design featured elevations of load-bearing brick work faced with Portland stone . Construction began in 1932 and was undertaken by Holland, Hannen & Cubitts . King George V laid the ceremonial foundation stone on 26 June 1933 and

10148-528: The possibility of joining the University of London. It was subsequently announced in July 2015 that City would join the University of London in August 2016. It will cease to be an independent university and become a college as "City, University of London". In 2016 reforms were proposed that would see the colleges become member institutions and be allowed to legally become universities in their own right. A bill to amend

10266-476: The quarries' environmental performance and removed the potential for any possible damage to the stone being quarried through shock. Full account of the local jointing pattern is made when deciding the position and orientation of cuts. Once the quarry faces have been cut, the stone is gently displaced hydraulically. This is done using "hydro-bags", which are thin, flat, steel bags or envelopes that when inflated with water under moderate pressure, are capable of producing

10384-520: The reason the building had fared so well was that Adolf Hitler had planned to use it as his headquarters in London. The latter half of the last century was less eventful. In 1948, Athlone Press was founded as the publishing house for the university, and sold to the Bemrose Corporation in 1979, subsequent to which it was acquired by Continuum publishing . However, the post-WWII period was mostly characterised by expansion and consolidation within

10502-622: The reasons why Portland stone is so favoured as a monumental and architectural stone. Geoff Townson conducted three years doctoral research on the Portlandian, being the first to describe the patch-reef facies and Dorset-wide sedimentation details. Ian West of the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences at Southampton University completed a detailed geological survey of Withies Croft Quarry before the Portland Beds were quarried by Albion Stone plc. Stone has been quarried on Portland since Roman times and

10620-437: The refurbishment of the British Museum 's central court, the planned Portland stone was controversially substituted with Anstrude Roche Claire stone from France, another similar (but cheaper) oolitic limestone. The term, "Portland cement", was coined by Joseph Aspdin who in 1824 patented a hydraulic binder created by burning a mixture of limestone and clay , resembling the previously existing Roman cement and presenting

10738-464: The relaxation of the rules in the UK on university status under the Major government and consequential stirrings towards full independence of the larger London University colleges, the future of Senate House and its library has from time to time been called into question. However, Senate House remains, and continues to be home both to the vice-chancellor of the University of London and to the deep resources of

10856-432: The result: "The design certainly does not possess the vigour and directness of Charles Holden's smaller Underground stations." Others have described it as Stalinist or as totalitarian due to its great scale. Holden recognised that his architectural style placed him in "rather a curious position, not quite in the fashion and not quite out of it; not enough of a traditionalist to please the traditionalists and not enough of

10974-485: The rock from its natural bed, hopefully undamaged. Stone was cut using plugs and feathers , where a series of short, small diameter (typically 30 mm) holes are drilled in a line where a cut is to be made. One plug and two feathers were inserted into each hole and each plug is hit in turn with a sledgehammer until the stone yields to the extreme tensile stresses produced. Most stone is many times weaker in tension than in compression, plugs and feathers utilise this fact. It

11092-494: The sea allowed the quarried stone blocks to be moved over relatively large distances by barge. Portland stone was used to build the Palace of Westminster in 1347, the Tower of London in 1349 and the first stone London Bridge in 1350. Exeter Cathedral and Christchurch Priory , also constructed during the 14th Century, are built of Portland stone. Its superb characteristics have ensured

11210-482: The southern tip of the island has permission to be worked by Portland Stone Firms and will provide in excess of 30 years of reserves. Permission has been granted for this to be open cast quarried. Once quarries have been worked they are then restored. The Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust was formed in 1983 and is dedicated to preserving a knowledge and understanding of stone and the landscape from which it comes. The main non-working quarry remains Tout Quarry in which

11328-482: The success of Holden's recently completed 55 Broadway , designed as the headquarters for the London Electric Railway and then the tallest office building in London. Holden's original plan for the university building was for a single structure covering the whole site, stretching almost 1,200 feet (370 m) from Montague Place to Torrington Street. It comprised a central spine linked by a series of wings to

11446-575: The time of completion the second largest building in London. The University of London contingent of the Officers' Training Corps (OTC) was formed in 1908 and had enrolled 950 students by autumn 1914. During the First World War, the OTC supplied 500 officers to the British Army between August 1914 and March 1915. Some 665 officers associated with the university died during the First World War and 245 officers in

11564-482: The trust is based, where a workshop is held every year. Tout Quarry has been donated to the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust by Portland Stone Firms Limited. Traditionally small diameter holes (35 mm) were drilled horizontally under each rock and charged with a small quantity of gunpowder , chosen because of its relative non-shattering properties. When fired the gunpowder produced a "heave" which dislodged

11682-656: The university in time for its own centenary celebrations, and in order to be able to award its own degrees. On 5 October 2006, the University of London accepted Imperial's formal request to withdraw from it. Imperial became fully independent on 9 July 2007, as part of the celebrations of the college's centenary. The Times Higher Education Supplement announced in February 2007 that the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London all planned to start awarding their own degrees, rather than degrees from

11800-413: The university into a convocation , similar to those of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and authorised the granting of degrees in science, the first BSc being awarded in 1860. The expanded role meant the university needed more space, particularly with the growing number of students at the provincial university colleges . Between 1867 and 1870 a new headquarters was built at 6 Burlington Gardens , providing

11918-470: The university library; indeed, it re-opened in 2006 after undergoing a refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards and to reinstate some of Holden's original interiors. Some schools in constituent colleges, such as the Birkbeck School of Computer Science and Information Systems (until 2010), and the School of Advanced Study (the UK's national centre for the facilitation and promotion of research in

12036-524: The university offering such degrees. By the 1970s, almost all of these colleges had achieved independence from the University of London. An increasing number of overseas and UK-based academic institutes offer courses to support students registered for the University of London flexible and distance learning diplomas and degrees and the Teaching Institutions Recognition Framework enables the recognition of these institutions. Under

12154-575: The university or the degrees they award. The member institutions of the University of London (as of September 2018) are: Portland stone Vale of Wardour : Tisbury Member, Wockley Member, Chilmark Member Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation ) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on

12272-399: The university with exam halls and offices. In 1863, via a fourth charter, the university gained the right to grant degrees in surgery. This 1863 charter remains the authority under which the university is incorporated, although all its other provisions were abolished under the University of London Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 62). In 1878, the university set another first when it became

12390-416: The university's statutes was introduced into the House of Lords in late 2016. The bill was held up by procedural matters in the House of Commons, with MP Christopher Chope objecting to it receiving a second reading without debate and no time having been scheduled for such debate. Twelve of the colleges, including UCL and King's, said that they would seek university status once the bill was passed. The bill

12508-700: The university). The 3Cosas campaigners were members of the UNISON trade union. However, documents leaked in 2014 revealed that UNISON representatives tried to counter the 3Cosas campaign in meetings with university management. The 3Cosas workers subsequently transferred to the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain. Following good results in the Research Excellence Framework in December 2014, City University London said that they were exploring

12626-457: The university, such as the acquisition as a constituent body of the Jesuit theological institution Heythrop College on its move from Oxfordshire in 1969. ` The University of London Act 1978 (c. ii) saw the university defined as a federation of self-governing colleges, starting the process of decentralisation that would lead to a marked transference of academic and financial power in this period from

12744-716: The university. Beyond this right to submit students for examination, there was no other connection between the colleges and the university. In 1849 the university held its first graduation ceremony at Somerset House following a petition to the senate from the graduates, who had previously received their degrees without any ceremony. About 250 students graduated at this ceremony. The London academic robes of this period were distinguished by their "rich velvet facings". The list of institutions whose students could enter University of London examinations grew rapidly by 1858, including all other British universities as well as more than 30 other schools and colleges outside of London. In that year,

12862-457: The university. Numerous events during the 2018–19 academic year were cancelled or relocated, and over 350 individual academics, as well as a number of UCU branches all signatories to the campaign. In May 2019 receptionists, porters as well post room and audio-visual (AV) equipment workers were made University of London staff, followed by security guards in May 2020. Senate House Library (formerly known as

12980-420: The university. Some member institutions also have the power to award their own degrees instead of those of the university; those which exercise that power include: Most decisions affecting the member institutions and institutes of the University of London are made at the level of the member institutions or institutes themselves. The University of London does retain its own decision-making structure, however, with

13098-399: The vice-chancellor. The chancellors of the University of London since its founding are as follows: For most practical purposes, ranging from admission of students to negotiating funding from the government, the 17 member institutions are treated as individual universities. Legally speaking they are known as Recognised Bodies , with the authority to examine students and award them degrees of

13216-482: The world, including at least 14 monarchs or royalty, more than 60 presidents or prime ministers in the world (including five prime ministers of the United Kingdom ), two Cabinet Secretaries of the UK , 98 Nobel laureates , five Fields Medallists , four Turing Award winners, six Grammy winners, two Oscar winners, three Olympic gold medalists and the " Father of the Nation " of several countries. The university owns

13334-414: Was annulled by the king's death. Queen Victoria issued a second charter on 5 December 1837, reincorporating the university. The university awarded its first degrees in 1839, all to students from UCL and King's College. The university established by the charters of 1836 and 1837 was essentially an examining board with the right to award degrees in arts, laws and medicine. However, the university did not have

13452-561: Was being shipped to London in the 14th century. Extraction as an industry began in the early 17th century, with shipments to London for Inigo Jones ' Banqueting House . Wren 's choice of Portland for the new St Paul's Cathedral was a great boost for the quarries and established Portland as London's choice of building stone. The island was connected by railway to the rest of the country from 1865. Albion Stone PLC has been quarrying and mining Portland stone since 1984. Portland Stone Firms Ltd have been quarrying Portland stone since 1994. Jordans

13570-507: Was debated and passed its second reading on 16 October 2018. It received royal assent on 20 December 2018, becoming the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii) The twelve colleges (namely, all except The Courtauld, ICR, LBS, RAM and RCSSD) subsequently applied for university status, although stating they did not intend to change their names, with notice being given in the London Gazette on 4 February 2019. In 2018, Heythrop College became

13688-478: Was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree-awarding examination board for students holding certificates from University College London , King's College London and "other such institutions, corporate or unincorporated, as shall be established for the purpose of Education, whether within the Metropolis or elsewhere within our United Kingdom". It is one of three institutions to have advertised themselves as

13806-686: Was implemented in 1900 with the approval of new statutes for the university. The London University should stand to the British empire as the great technological institution in Berlin, the Charlottenburg, stood to the German empire. The reforms initiated by the 1898 act came into force with the approval of the new federal statutes in 1900. Many of the colleges in London became schools of the university, including UCL, King's College, Bedford College , Royal Holloway and

13924-584: Was used for the Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire , England. Designed by Liam O'Connor Architects and Planning Consultants, it was completed in 2007 at a cost of over £6 million and bears the names of over 16,000 service personnel of the British Armed Forces killed since the Second World War. Portland stone is recognised to be of a high quality, but is somewhat expensive. In the case of

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