The Cotswolds is a beautiful part of England to live in. If you think of the Cotswolds, one of the images that springs

to mind is the typical village, with its cottages made from Cotswold stone, and the surrounding fields bordered by dry stone walls.

Cotswold stone is recognised as one of the most beautiful yet durable building materials in the world. There have been stone quarries in the Cotswolds for hundreds of years supplying stone not just for local buildings but for some of the most famous buildings throughout the land. For instance, stone from Taynton quarry was used in the construction of St Pauls Cathedral.

Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone rich in fossils, especially fossilised sea urchins. As the stone weathers it becomes a distinctive colour often described as honey or golden.

In fact, the stone varies in shade depending on the part of the Cotswolds it originated in. The traditional honey colour is especially prevalent in the north and north eastern parts of the region, such as the villages of Stanton and Broadway. Central and southern areas, such as Dursley and Cirencester, are famed for the golden hue, while that from Bath is pearly white.

There are now just a handful of working quarries for Cotswold stone remaining as other quarries concentrate on supplying gravel, such as the area around Cotswold Water Park.