A sandstone quarry in Shaftsbury, Dorset, last worked in the 17th century has been re-opened by a new company called Shaftsbury Greenstone.

The quarry has been opened by Ben Johnson, who sells garden machinery and is the son-in-law of the farmer who owns the land.

Planning permission is for block only and no processing is allowed on site. Production is limited to 2,000 tonnes a year and is subcontracted out.

All the production so far has gone to nearby Chicksgrove Quarry for processing into walling stone, but Johnson would like to make the stone available to a wider audience and is considering going into processing the stone himself, encouraged by the early specification of his stone for seven houses being built at Chatsbury.

Johnson says there are only 2.5m of overburden to be removed to reveal the stone, which is being simply lifted out in boulders of 4.5-5 tonnes by a 21-tonne Komatsu.

He says planners often require building work to be carried out in local stone and that his stone will compete with the Chilmark sandstone that has often been used up to now.

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