We celebrate an important milestone today  - it's our 10th Birthday! 

Lovell Stone Group was founded by Simon and James Hart when they acquired D&P Lovell in 2009. They’d been looking for another business opportunity as they had had previous success with Forest Pennant and could see the opportunities in the Purbeck stone market;  given its famous and historical provenance. “We wanted to build a family business with a reputation for excellence and this seemed like a natural choice for us” said Simon Hart, Managing Director.

Today, Simon and James Hart, have grown the business and offer a wide range of iconic British stone; they now own and operate 5 quarries within the South West region and process other heritage stones, such as Portland and Lincolnshire limestones.  Lovell Stone Group acquired Bowden’s Quarry (Lias) in 2011, Hurdcott Greenstone and Chicksgrove in 2013 and Hartham Park Bath Stone in 2016.

James Hart, Commercial Director, said: “Our growth and success are testament to the hard work and support of all our staff, many of whom have been with us since the start. We initially started with twenty employees and now employ over seventy people across the five sites. And of course, we wouldn’t be where we are today without our customers; we’ve worked on some fantastic projects and have developed some long-term partnerships, which reflects our passion, experience and insight in the industry”.

Simon has pushed forward a substantial investment programme of new state-of-the-art machinery and infrastructure at all the sites. “All the quarries we acquired had huge growth potential but needed significant financial investment, and none more so than Bowden’s and Chicksgrove … the Chicksgrove site was little more than a shed and Bowden’s was just a field”.

“Hartham Park, our underground Bath Stone quarry, was acquired in February 2016. In just under a month, we managed to bring up to the surface our first block of bath stone, which in part was testament to the experienced team we have there. 2019 is a key year for us at Hartham Park - we have constructed and opened a new drive in drive out shaft; finally allowing us to easily access the underground; improving efficiencies and increasing production” says Simon.  

“Looking back over the past 10 years, it gives you an opportunity to reflect on some of the wide variety of projects we have worked on; from the new build developments, the bespoke private projects and the prestigious schemes but for me” says James, “the award winning Buckfast Abbey where the entire floor was replaced with intricate blends of Purbeck Stone and our first Gold Award at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2012, designed by Andy Sturgeon, are my personal highlights”.

We are also committed to our responsibility as a sustainable and environmentally conscious business - we’ve invested in solar panels, water treatment systems and quarry restoration work. We are constantly looking to develop new products lines, minimise waste and are working to ensure the long-term sustainability of the quarries.  Simon and James both feel it’s important to support the work force of the future and are actively involved with local colleges in Bath and Dorset who offer stone carving and masonry courses.

So where do Simon and James Hart see the business in the next 10 years? “For us, our vision is to see continued growth and ensure that we have long term, sustainable reserves of stone, which has been getting more difficult due to restrictive planning regulations. Re-investment back into the business continues to be key - both in infrastructure and in people and remaining true to the family business ethos that has seen us grow over the past 10 years into a profitable UK business. “2019 is shaping up to be another busy year with more exciting developments in the pipeline and who knows, maybe acquiring other quarries adding more stone to our product range” says Simon.