Sussex brick, terracotta and faience company Lambs have acquired the excavation rights to the Wealden Sussex sandstone from Philpots Quarry at West Hoathly, near East Grinstead in Sussex.

The quarry has not sold stone on a large, commercial scale for many years, but this is about to change. Lambs, who took over the operation of the quarry this month (January), plan to start investing immediately in new machinery to make the sandstone available in raw blocks and as sawn six sides for smaller masonry workshops.

The raw stone is quarried to block sizes of 2.5m on bed, 4m in length and 3m in depth, with little wastage due to the regular nature of the quarried material.

The quarry contains sandstone of autumn shades tinting to warm honey and oatmeal colours consistently across the workface. There are attractive natural striations running parallel to the bed joints, which come to life when the stone is worked.

The Wealden stone is often likened to weathered Bath stone, and the natural patina that appears with ageing - one of the attractions of all stones - gives it a pleasing warmth.

The size of the blocks and the tight grain of the stone lends itself to carving with fine detail being possible as exhibited in many notable buildings in Sussex and southern England. Gravetye Manor, near East Grinstead, is an Elizabethan mansion built in 1598 by Richard Infield and is an excellent local example of the use of the sandstone.

Ockenden Manor, rebuilt in 1608, is another example. The stone was also employed on Kew Palace, where, coincidentally, Lambs supplied thousands of replacement Red Rubber special bricks during the refurbishment in 1997.

Lambs have also supplied their clay products for 10 Downing Street, Hampton Court and Somerset House, among a great many other notable buildings.

Jonathan Lamb, the sales director and fifth generation of his family in the business, says they trade nationally and internationally in their specialist clay products and that "we intend to take the same approach with the stone".

He says Lambs had received a number of enquiries for Sussex sandstone and came across Philpots Quarry when they were trying to source the stone for a particular client. "It was active in a very, very small way," he says.

Lambs felt the excellent quality of the stone gave it huge potential, as well as fitting in with the specialist clay products they offer, and approached the previous operators, Philpots Quarry Ltd, about taking over the operation.

Jonathan Lamb says there are extensive reserves on the site, which covers about five acres, half of which are consented.

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