A separation type grinding or polishing (hereinafter "grinding") surface plate (11) comprises a surface plate body (12) connected to a drive of a grinding apparatus directly or through a water cooled jacket or the like, and a disk (13) for grinding which is adapted to rotate together with the surface plate body (12) and contact an article being ground directly or through an abrasive cloth (14). The disk (13) for grinding is detachably held on the surface plate body (12) by vacuum suction or magnetic forces. Accordingly, it is possible to ensure an accuracy in a cleaning operation of a surface plate, a replacing operation of an abrasive cloth or the like as well as labor saving and to prevent lowering of a grinding accuracy due to thermal deformation. The grinding apparatus comprises the above separation type grinding surface plate (11), a vacuum system (20) or a magnetic system for detachably holding the disk (13) for grinding on the surface plate body (12), a drive system (16) for driving and rotating the separation type grinding surface plate (11), and an abrasive liquid supplying means (24) for supplying an abrasive liquid to the disk (13) for grinding.