British Geological Survey Building Stone Team


The United Kingdom has been a producer of building stone for many hundreds of years. Because of our varied geology, a wide range of building stone types have been used and this has influenced architectural style throughout Britain. The importance of this local distinctiveness is becoming increasingly recognised and the maintenance of the built heritage is now a significant issue to society. New construction, including streetscape and paving schemes, are also turning to natural stone. This has led to an increase in the demand for stone and a resurgence in some parts of the stone industry.

Friday 14 August 2009

Concerns for the future of Building Stone

A sample of concerns submitted by registered delegates for the Building Stone Symposium:

  • The swamping of vernacular styles with single blanket stone use and loss of building styles
  • Planning authorities not understanding the differences between different types of stone
  • Educating the public in the significance of building stone quarries
  • Problems of supply of very localized stone for restoration
  • Inappropriate planning legislation, inaccurate environmental comparisons with other industries, usage of unsuitable alternatives
  • How can someone ensure the correct stone is chosen for a project – where to get unbiased advice on this?
  • Regulatory obstacles that discourage the re-opening of building stone quarries
  • Ensuring the future of appropriate local building stones and the suitable after-use/on-going extraction techniques that provide benefits for geological and wildlife conservation
  • What’s the future of the supply/demand market in the UK?
  • Ensuring a supply of appropriate building materials for conservation purposes and new build
  • Increased costs associated with reduced demand for products and associated trades affecting viability of use of stone as a desirable building material
  • Lack of choice and information resulting in the use of inappropriate stones
  • Support required for the supply of indigenous stones for new build and conservation work against cheaper, inferior stone that has been imported to save cost
  • Poor information on sustainability of stone compared with other building materials
  • The need for a database for stone matching for restoration projects
  • Sustainability issues. Carbon calculations for the UK stone resources
  • Degradation of the built heritage due to lack of suitable stone for maintenance and repair
  • How important is an understanding of current site environmental conditions when selecting stone for replacement or repair?
  • How to quarry stone but also look after wildlife, landscape, archeological status, etc.

Do you have any comments, concerns? Please continue this dialogue by posting below.

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