Quarry History

Haysom family stonemasons have lived and worked In Purbeck since the end of the 17th century.  We believe Mark, the current Managing Director, is the eleventh generation to work Purbeck stone. Walter Haysom, Mark’s grandfather, took over St Aldhelm’s Quarry in 1934 and Trev and Sue Haysom, Mark’s parents, continued the business until their retirement.  Mark currently runs Haysom Purbeck Stone.

Treleven (Trev) Haysom was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bournemouth University in 2014, in recognition of his unrivalled knowledge of the Purbeck stone industry.  He wrote a comprehensive history of the industry, Purbeck Stone, which was published by Dovecote Press in 2019. The second edition was published in 2024. Copies are available to buy online, or from the quarry office. 

Trev was treasurer of the Ancient Order of Purbeck Marblers, and many of the company’s stonemasons have- and continue- to contribute to this centuries-old local institution. Over the years the quarries have yielded geological and paleontological finds of significance, including dinosaur footprint trackways, a horizon of fossil wood.The company has undertaken numerous prestigious projects throughout the 20th century, including supplying Purbeck Marble masonry for the restoration of the Temple Church in London in the 1940s; Spangle masonry and Purbeck walling for Portsmouth Cathedral in the 1980s; and substantial paving projects for Paternoster Square and Merril Lynch Bank of America in London in the 1990s. More recent projects can be found in our Client List, with a selection of our latest work featured within Recent Projects.