A two-day event at England’s largest slate quarry has been hailed a success.
The Lakeland Stone Celebration Event at the Kirkby-in-Furness quarry attracted builders and members of the public from across Cumbria and Lancashire.
The quarry is now planning to establish permanent Lakeland Slate Shops at Kirkby and the sister quarry, Goldmire in Barrow.
Burlington Stone, a Cumbrian construction materials specialist and the owner of the quarry, will also hold a Quarry Open Day and Factory Tour in Spring 2025 to promote the history of Lake District Slate and offer deals on Lakeland Slate products.
The new Lakeland Slate Shops will cater to both the building trade and the public.
They will feature displays of paving, walling, roofing, slate monoliths, and architectural offcuts.
These can be used for building projects or as unique decorative pieces for gardens and landscapes.
Burlington Stone’s managing director Richard Page said: "We were delighted with the turnout at our recent Lakeland Stone Celebration Event, which really demonstrated how passionate local people and builders are about using Lake District Slate in their building and landscaping projects."
The Spring Open Day will provide the public and builders the opportunity to witness some of the specialist machinery used in extracting the slate from the 200-year-old Kirkby quarry.
Mr Page added: "The Spring Open Day will be a chance for our customers, near neighbours and visitors to gain a deeper insight into how we have perfected the craft of extracting and preparing our beautiful local slates and stones, turning them into everything from our iconic roofing and walling products, through to architectural pieces of the highest quality."
The Lakeland Slate Shop at Kirkby quarry is open Monday to Friday every week, and the first Saturday of every month for those who cannot visit on weekdays.
Goldmire Quarry’s Lakeland Slate Shop will open on November 16, and will be open to the public Monday to Friday and every third Saturday in the month.
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