Monks Park stone mine reopened

Hanson Bath & Portland Stone’s Monks Park stone mine in Gastard near Corsham, Wiltshire, has reopened after nearly 12 years lying dormant. Following three months of preparatory work at the site, the first block of stone was winched to the surface in January.

Monks Park stone is a high quality and attractive medium to fine grained Bath stone, which is suitable for new buildings, ashlar and detailed masonry work such as fireplaces. It has been used on The Podium in Bath, St James’s Parade, Bristol and the Calne Library, as well as further afield in London and Oxford.

The mine had been dormant since 2004, but an unexpected termination of Hanson’s lease at the nearby Hartham Park underground quarry prompted the decision to reopen the site to safeguard local specialist jobs and satisfy customer demand.

General Manager Rod Lafargue said: “We are delighted to be back in business at Monks Park and look forward to stepping up production. We have already received considerable interest for Monks Park stone from stonemasonry factories, developers and architects”.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/05022016/monks-park-stone-mine-reopened-449/