End of an era for Kent quarry

"CENTURIES of quarrying at Allington, near Maidstone, came to an end earlier this year when the final pieces of ragstone were extracted from the site. The quarry itself had been in existence since the 1790s and there has been quarrying in the area since the building of Allington Castle in 1174."

Over the years around 20 million tonnes of stone have been extracted from Allington Quarry and used for local building and transport schemes — most recently the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

"However, with reserves running low, owners Hanson Aggregates decided to close the site and relocate their nine employees and much of the plant to the company’s new quarry a few miles away at Blaise Farm, near Offham, which has reserves of 35 million tonnes and will provide over 250,000 tonnes of ragstone each year for local construction markets."

"Some of the last stone to be dug from Allington was donated to Langley Park School for Boys in Beckenham, Kent, for use in a millennium project. Pupils visited the quarry on its last working day to choose material for the construction of stone seating circles at the school. Quarry manager Dave Brown commented: ‘It is fitting that the last stone to leave the quarry will be used in a project which reflects the working traditions and heritage of Kent.’"