NSI Field trip:
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NSI visit to Swinton sandstone quarry, Berwickshire
Following a successful excursion to Caithness earlier in the year, the Natural Stone Institute held a one-day visit on 30th August to the Hutton Stone Company in Berwickshire. The visit was arranged jointly with the southeast Scotland branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association, and was hosted by Marcus Paine of Hutton Stone.
Historically, two quarries operated on the site, each producing sandstone under different names; Swinton and Whitsome Newton. The stone was used extensively in the Borders and Edinburgh areas in the 19th century, although quarrying is recorded as far back as 1791. Notable examples of the stone include the Meadows Pillars in Edinburgh (1886) and the National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle (1927). In common with many building stone quarries in Scotland, operation had largely ceased around the time of the First World War, and the quarry remained closed for most of the 20th century.
 Some of the party examining the current working face |
The original Whitsome Newton quarry has recently been reopened by Hutton Stone who are producing sandstone for a range of purposes from high quality masonry to rubble walling, now sold under the name of Swinton stone. The stone is used for both new-build and repair of historic buildings. The return of the stone to the market has been particularly welcomed by local building conservation officers. The visit began at the Hutton Stone Company yard where the party witnessed a wide range of work in progress, using both Swinton stone and imported stone from the UK and overseas. The company have a new stone yard nearby with an impressive range of equipment, yet pride themselves on combining traditional methods of working with modern techniques. |
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In the quarry the scale of operation is kept small, and traditional methods are used where possible, the working methods tailored to the specific nature of the stone. When the flooded lower part of the quarry was drained an original set of plug and feathers set was discovered, having different dimensions to those commercially available today. The company have had new ones made specifically to this size and find they are perfectly suited to the specific characteristics of the Swinton sandstone. |
Marcus Paine of Hutton Stone explains to the party |
 Traditional plug and feathers, still in use today to |
Following the visit, the party retired to the award-winning Wheatsheaf in Swinton for a first rate lunch and welcome refreshments. A few weeks after the visit a truck-load of Swinton rubble stone was delivered to the Scottish headquarters of the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, where the Dry Stone Walling Association constructed a handsome drystone feature during the BGS Open Day to mark the opening of the new entrance area. Dr Ewan Hyslop |
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