Wessex Dimensional Stone, the company formed by Ian Butterworth to take over Chilmark mine and Hurdcott quarry earlier this year, has acquired Elm Park Bath stone mine from Elm Park Stone.

Ian told NSS: "This is an important and exciting addition to the company\'s existing stone portfolio of Chilmark and Hurdcott Greensand stones. Elm Park has long been regarded as an excellent example of Bath stone.

Wessex Dimensional Stone will be exhibiting at the Natural Stone Show at ExCeL on 14-16 March, when visitors will be able to see the Bath stone for themselves.

In fact, Ian Butterworth is no newcomer to Elm Park mine and had shares in the previous operating company. He has installed a second Kaufman saw for cutting the stone out of the mine.

Ian says: "I think Elm Park is the best Bath stone, although because it\'s hard it wasn\'t popular when it was hand sawn."

He says he had always intended to buy a Bath stone mine if one became available and he had spoken to Hanson about buying their mine, although he was told it was not available now.

Wessex Dimensional Stone intend to increase production. Ian says that at three times the production levels achieved by Elm Park Stone the reserves in the mine will last 900 years.

Ian\'s experience of the mine told him there is demand for the stone, which is being sold at about £400/m3. "All I know is that every block that was ever extracted from Elm Park was immediately sold and people were frustrated that they couldn\'t get the block when they wanted it."

He expects demand for Elm Park stone to follow the demand for Chilmark now that people know it is available. "There\'s an eight week wait for Chilmark now," says Ian. "I can get the block out, but I can\'t get it through the yard quickly enough. We have bought a 2m Wellcut that\'s going flat out and I need another one."