Stone in Archaeology Database

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Reigate stone is believed to have been used in Saxon times, but it became popular from the 11th - 16th centuries when the quarries, although mostly very small, were innumerable. The earlier quarried stone was quite inferior in character, and a better quality stone is now obtained by modern methods. It was mainly mined rather than quarried. The mines extracting Reigate stone were important enough that they were kept in possession of the Crown and a patent of Edward III exists authorising them to be worked for Windsor Castle (Howe 1910: 166). Reigate Stone has not been available as a building stone for over 100 years.