Hopton Wood Stone
Hopton Wood Stone (also called Hopton-Wood Stone or Hoptonwood Stone) is a type of limestone quarried north of Hopton and west of Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England.[1]
The quarry was first owned by the Gell family and later by Hopton-Wood Stone Firms Ltd. The stone was called "England's premier decorative stone" and described as "remarkably and exceptionally pure limestone, almost identical to marble," with impurities at 0.02%.[2][3]
History
In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Hopton as having "good building limestone, (which) is extensively quarried, and was the material of Chatsworth House and Belvoir Castle. Lead ore also occurs."[4]
Following World War I, Hopton Wood Stone was used by the Imperial War Graves Commission to supply headstones, with over 120,000 being created and sent to war cemeteries in Britain, Belgium, and France.[5][6] The limestone is said to have been laid in conjunction with a "native black stone" to create the first chequerboard floor in England.[7]
It has also been used in decorative work, including the Houses of Parliament, the Bank of England, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Chatsworth House, Hopton Hall, the University of Oxford, several cathedrals, and Oscar Wilde's tomb, among others.[8][9]
In 1947 the Hopton-Wood Stone Firms Ltd commissioned a book about Hopton Wood stone, published by Fanfare press.[10]
Long connected to Middleton Mine direcrtly south on the Hopton Via Gellia, the sites were in operation from the 18th century onwards, the quarry system extracted "4-500,000 tons" of limestone a year until operations ended in 2006.[11]
Modern Day
Since the closure of Middleton Mine and Hopton Quarry, the Stone's reputation as a premier decorative mark has maintained.[12] Due to the nature of the stone, most examples are still of high-quality today. A reserve is kept at the National Stone Centre, for repair.[13] Middleton Mine has been used as a filming location for several movies, including the Mission Impossible franchise, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and The Lord of the Rings.[14][15]
References
- ↑ "Bright Stone: Hopton Wood". British Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ↑ Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society. "Hopton Wood Stone". Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ↑ Ian A., Thomas (March 2005). Hopton Wood Stone – England's premier decorative stone (PDF). English Stone Forum.
- ↑ "A Vision of Britain through time: Hopton, Derbyshire". A Vision of Britain through time.
- ↑ "Hopton Wood Stone Company". derbyshirewarmemorials.com. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ↑ "Memorial marks Hopton Wood Stone's graves contribution to WWI". BBC News. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ Grindell, Derek (May 2017). The Elusive Hopton-Wood Stone: Part One (PDF). North East Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology Society.
- ↑ "Hopton-Wood Stone". www.hoptonwoodstone.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ↑ "WIRKSWORTH-Parish Records 1608-1899-Hopton Stone". www.wirksworth.org.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ↑ "The Book". Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ↑ Grindell, Derek (May 2017). The Elusive Hopton-Wood Stone: Part One (PDF). North East Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology Society.
- ↑ "Hopton-Wood Stone". www.hoptonwoodstone.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ↑ Thomas, Ian A. "Hopton wood Stone – England's premier decorative stone" (PDF). English Stone Forum.
- ↑ Grimsditch, Lee; Pounds, Kate (3 December 2024). "Abandoned Hollywood film set discovered underground in Derbyshire mine". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Where did Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning film? -". 23 May 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2026.