The first block of Bath stone to leave Hanson Bath & Portland’s Monks Park mine in Gastard near Corsham, Wiltshire, for 12 years was winched to the surface at the end of January following three months of preparatory work at the site.

Bath & Portland has re-opened the mine after the lease for the Hartham Park underground quarry the company used to operate in Corsham was transferred to Lovell Stone at the start of February.

Bath & Portland is seeking planning permission to open a new entrance to Hartham Park, a source of premium Box Ground Bath stone, on land it owns. Underground, the quarry extends beyond the boundaries of the mineral rights of the owner of the current entrance.

In the meantime, Bath & Portland General Manager Rod Lafargue says: “We are delighted to be back in business at Monks Park and look forward to stepping up production. We have already received considerable interest for Monks Park stone from stonemasonry factories, developers and architects.”

Monks Park stone is a high quality, medium to fine grained Bath stone suitable for ashlar and detailed masonry work. It has been used on The Podium in Bath, St James's Parade, Bristol, Calne Library, and further afield in London and Oxford.