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In 1926, Lord Peel, First Commissioner of Works, issued a memorandum entitled “Defective Conditions of the Stonework at the Houses of Parliament” This report contained estimates of one million pounds to repair the stonework of a building less than 100 years old. The first stone had been laid in 1840. In 1931 work began on the restoration of the House of Commons, using Clipsham stone.

In July 1933, Prince George ( later to become King George 6th ) visited Clipsham Quarries to meet the team and inspect the quarry which was the source of stone for the rebuilding of Westminster, and earlier, St. George’s Chapel Windsor.

During the Second World War, because of the unavailability of quarry workers, the Clipsham quarries were all but closed.

The House of Commons had been bombed and seriously damaged in 1943. The architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, together with geologists and other advisers researched the best materials and methods to rebuild the Second Chamber.

Selection of Clipsham Stone was announced in the Commons by Winston Churchill.

There were strict deadlines set for completion of the building by 1950, with exceptional targets for the volume of output required from the Clipsham quarries.

Dr W J Arkell (Author of “Rutland Stone” published in 1948) wrote in 1946 that the workable face at Big Pitts quarry ‘averaged 18 feet - all good stone, but of variable texture and from 8 inches to 3 feet on the bed’. This site was used to extract the stone for rebuilding the House of Commons between 1944 and 1950.

Hugh Dalton, Labour Minister of Town and Country Planning, visited the quarries in Clipsham. One difficulty was the specification of 4 feet high blocks. David Davenport-Handley invited Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to inspect the quarry face in order to understand the difficulties. Sir Giles immediately realised that 2 feet 6 inch high blocks would be much more efficient to extract, with no detriment to the building and accordingly had the design plans changed to accommodate 2 feet 6 inch courses. The work was successfully finished on time for the King’s opening ceremony on 26 October 1950. With the House of Commons complete Big Pits Quarry was largely worked out, and no more block stone of quality appeared to be available.

As the Old Quarry was extended westwards some quantities of high quality block stone began to appear again, and have continued to be discovered in increasing quantities.

The uses of Clipsham Stone are many and varied. Clipsham Stone has been used for Salisbury Cathedral Spire, The Berkeley Hotel in London, Winchester Law Courts, Uppingham School façade, Wells Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and the famous Bury St. Edmunds Tower, completed in 2005.

Currently approximately 1200 tons of top quality block stone is being used per year for cathedral and church repairs.