According to figures released in April by Customs & Excise and the British Geological Survey, imports of building and dimensional stone grew 20% last year and indigenous production by 30%.

Since the doldrums of the construction industry recession that started in 1990 and ended with 1994, stone has seen compound average growth of more than 20% a year.

Limestone, sandstone, granite, marble, slate and various other building and decorative stones continued to grab the attention of designers and builders last year, as the figures show.