Realstone Stonraise quarry Lazonby
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    		•  English Heritage Strategic Stone Study
    After refining the methodology behind the data collection, the Strategic Stone Study is now fully underway.  Sixteen counties are either in the process of, or have finished work. The study is gradually building up a database of building stones, representative buildings and villages, and their historic sources, often using unpublished or not easily accessible information.  Nine county atlases are available to view or download in pdf format below or from the MineralsUK website and it is anticipated that the searchable Geographical Information System (GIS) based website will be available for use after the summer and will contain the finished counties' work.

    This innovative database can be accessed here.  It will show geographical and historical data for individual quarry sites (both dormant and active), the extent of building stone usage from specified site(s) and evidence of the stone's importance.  The study will help Mineral Planning Authorities to identify and safeguard stone resources for building repair and conservation. 
    County atlases
    Fourteen atlases have been published. Downloads

    Safeguarding England's Stone Built Heritage
    Sourcing  the right stone to conserve historic buildings can be difficult, but is essential if we are to avoid long-term damage to this precious resource.  New buildings and extensions in sensitive areas also need stone which is compatible with the host building or its neighbours.  This means finding suitable material from local sources and as there are very few quarries still operating, re-opening them can be a lengthy and fraught process.  Another major problem is the dearth of published information on the stones that were used and precisely where they came from.  In response, the government and English Heritage are addressing these problems in the Strategic Stone Study (SSS).
    Five years ago the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now CLG) commissioned the Symonds Report  which examined the issues affecting the demand for and supply of indigenous stone in the UK.  In particular, the report focussed on the problems of sourcing appropriate stone to repair historic buildings and recommended that the Mineral Planning Authorities should identify and protect ‘heritage quarries’.  It also recommended the establishment of a national database of the many building and roofing stones used in the past including their sources and availability throughout England and Wales.  It should contain: 
  • a description of the stones, 
  • their suitability for various end uses, 
  • details of existing sources, and 

    • the extent of unworked resources, including disused/dormant quarries, crop limits and the likely extent of suitable rock.
    Ladycross quarry Northumberland
    Ladycross Quarry in Northumberland is one of the few remaining quarries where stone is essentially still won by hand. The site has been quarried for at least 300 years, supplying masonry and roofing slate to nearby towns and villages..
    		Additional information for each important stone should involve several key factors: notes on scarcity, importance for heritage and new build, the need for safeguarding potentially workable resources, and details of potential substitutes, perhaps from resources not currently worked.

    There is no single source of information which comprehensively lists the stones used in the construction of historic buildings; even the statutory listed buildings descriptions do not include such detail.  This means that the importance of many quarries is not widely appreciated. 

    In response to the recommendations of the Symonds Study, CLG produced guidance for mineral planning authorities and others by publishing Minerals Policy Statement 1 (MPS1) and Annex 3 Natural Building and Roofing Stone.  These recommend that:  English Heritage and the industry are encouraged to make mineral planning authorities (MPAs) aware of important sources of building and roofing stone that they consider should be safeguarded from other forms of development.  Local authorities are therefore encouraged to identify existing and potential quarries and include suitable policies within development plans so that the needs of building conservation can be considered equally alongside other development proposals including conservation and environmental designations.
    Lack of information on original stone sources can have unfortunate results.
    		So the big question confronting English Heritage was; how could this mammoth task be undertaken for the whole country?  There are nearly half-a-million listed buildings in England and nearly 10,000 conservation areas, a significant proportion of the built structures being in stone.  Such is the richness and variety of our geology that hundreds of different stones and sources would need to be investigated in order to find the most representative and important building stones.  A definition of importance will be required if we are to safeguard the appropriate sources.  Is a quarry that supplied the stone to build 25 Grade I listed buildings more important than one that provided the stone for hundreds of unlisted vernacular structures, such as walls, paving and farm buildings?  Additionally, Mineral Planning Authorities urgently require detailed guidance about old stone quarries, which are often perceived as brownfield sites or protected for their wildlife interest.  The result is that sources of compatible stone for conserving buildings are lost.

    In conservation work it is vital to obtain stone which matches in terms of density, porosity, grain size etc if it is not to cause further decay to host stones.  Mineral composition is also important if the stone is to weather and blend in satisfactorily.