baluster

Vertical member of a balustrade.

balustrade

Barrier formed by a series of balusters surmounted by a coping.

band course

Horizontal feature course either flush, projecting or recessed.

banker

Heavy bench made of timber, blocks of stone, etc.

banker mason

Mason who works stone on a banker.

baptistry

Part of a church containing the font.

barrel vault

A simple vault unbroken by cross vaults.

bas-relief

Decoration carved to project from the background.

basalt

Fine-grained igneous volcanic rock.

base bed

The lower usable quarry bed.

base course

Lowest course of a wall.

basic rock

Igneous rock containing more than 45% and less than 52% silica.

batted

A regular pattern of fluted cuts in the stone face.

battlement

Finishing of a parapet wall with alternative openings and projections.

bead

A small moulding round in section.

bead-and-reel

An enriched moulding with alternative spheres and cylinders.

bearing

That part of the stonework that takes the load.

bed

(1) Layer of sedimentary rock.

(2) Surface on which a masonry unit rests.

bed joint

Horizontal mortar joint.

bed-moulding

The lower section of a cornice.

birdsmouth

Recess formed along the junction of the external mitred joint of masonry

cladding by blunting the sharp arris of each stone.

blind tracery

tracery used as a decoration feature on a plain wall.

block stone

Stone roughly squared at the quarry.

blocking course

Plain course above a cornice acting as a counter balance.

boasted

Stone finish produced by a mallet and boaster to form bands of parallel lines.

bollard

Short strong post.

bond

Arrangement of masonry units.

bonder

Stone used to tie through the thickness of a wall.

bracket

A supporting piece of stone to carry a projecting weight.

broach

A half pyramid connecting the angle of a square tower with the face of an octagonal spire.

bucket handle joint

Morter joint tooled to a concave finish.

buttress

A mass of masonry to provide lateral support.