A marriage stone, nuptial stone or lintel stone is usually a stone, rarely wood, lintel carved with the initials, coat of arms, etc. of a newly married couple, usually displaying the date of the marriage. They were very popular until Victorian times, but fell out of general use in the 20th century. Many survive for aesthetic value, particularly where well carved or of historic value. Many are part of or in the grounds of a listed building or in conservation areas.
A marriage stone at Woodside House, Parish of Beith.
One of many 16th century door lintels in Edinburgh's Old Town
A marriage stone above the door to the Formal Gardens at Robertland House, East Ayrshire. Circa 1930.
The marriage stone lintel at 'The Hill' farm, Dunlop, East Ayrshire.
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented/structural item. In the case of windows, the bottom span is referred to as a sill, but, unlike a lintel, does not serve to bear a load to ensure the integrity of the wall.
Modern-day lintels may be made using prestressed concrete and are also referred to as beams in beam-and-block slabs or as ribs in rib-and-block slabs. These prestressed concrete lintels and blocks can serve as components that are packed together and propped to form a suspended-floor concrete slab.
Lintel above a door in Paris
Ornamental carved lintel over Mandapa entrance at Chennakesava Temple, in the Hoysala architecture tradition of southern India
Ornamental Chinese lintel at Zhan Yuan.
Structural lintel over entrance, Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, Greece