The Lake District, now a Unesco World Heritage site is renowned globally for it’s majestic landscape, and the hard wearing and uniquely beautiful slate that it is built upon, is also home to the slate. The quarry, at Tilberthwiate, not far from Coniston, has been worked by at least one member of the Walker family since 1957. High in the hills, with far-reaching views taking in the Langdale Pikes, The Old Man of Coniston and Helvellyn, it is one of the very last remaining independent slate quarries in the area. Access to the quarry is via a rugged hairpinned track, unpassable for normal vehicles or wagons. Only Four wheel drive will successfully get to the workings. Everything has to come in and go out this way – no exceptions. |
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Whatever the dramatically changeable weather, Nev and his son, Richard, can be found working in this beautiful but unforgiving landscape. Family continuity sees the intimate knowledge of the quarry and the raw slate which it yields being passed down from father to son. The small scale production guarantees the exceptional quality of this particularly hard, green slate with unique markings, which if you are into your “rock” tell the story of the birth of this slate in volcanic eruptions and pyroclastic flows from the Late Ordovician period, about 450 million years ago. Tradition and craftsmanship is vitally important, utilising traditional tools and machinery is part of this. You wont see a computer or a CNC controlled cutter in the workshops. The Primary saw dates back to the 1930’s and the Jenny Lin which is used for polishing the slate to the early 1960’s, both running every single working day. |
We are very lucky to have come across this small quarry and are looking forward to using their slate to make beautiful slate signs and memorials which are totally unique. The fact that it is a hard wearing slate is an added bonus. |
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Superior Lakeland Green 20mm Thick Slate - Prices for Signs and Memorials |
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Simple Shaping / 45 degree bevel £7.95, We can drill the holes for you @ £1.10 per standard hole. £1.95 per countersunk hole. 2 holes are ideal on the 100mm high slate and 4 holes on larger slates. NB - Only one side of the slate has been polished but we can still sandlast and paint lettering into the slightly rougher unpolished side if required. |
P&P Price Brackets | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K |
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BORDERS
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We can add a line border with indented or square corners to your slate sign at a cost of £9.95 for most house signs. Another interesting technique is the sand blasted border i where the slate around the outside of the sign is blasted away leaving the required shape in the middle. |
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Simple Images |
Detailed Images |
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For more ideas have a look at the Gallery or our Pinterest Board | Home Page | More Stone & Slate Signs |
Place your Order | |
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Use the Online Shop Its easy - Pay by Card, Cheque or Online Banking |
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Signs - 01769 561355 |
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By email - sales.signmaker@gmail.com |
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Design Your Own Sign / Plaque .You create the design - we send you a quote |
Easy Pay Tell us what you want - we will send you the price with an Easy Pay link |