M A G A Z I N E
Gypsum mining at Fauld Gypsum and alabaster have been
extracted in the Fauld area for at least 900 years, initially through quarrying and since the 19th century, mining, making it the oldest and largest working gypsum mine in the UK. On average 50 lorries per day leave Fauld Mine fully loaded with approximately 24 tonnes of gypsum or anhydrite. British Gypsum produces around 300-350,000 tonnes of gypsum at Fauld every year. While gypsum from the mine is no longer transformed into plaster on site, it is primarily used as a retarder in the manufacture of Portland cement. The mine supplies around 80 per cent of the gypsum and anhydrite required for the UK cement market, making it a strategic national resource. The mine is also a significant local employer, providing around 50 jobs on site. Calcite alabaster from the location has been used in buildings such as Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, the Vanderbilt mansion in New York and Chatsworth Halls in Derbyshire. Most recently, the stone was used for the new altar made for the re-internment of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral.
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