THE importance of the stone which makes Dartmoor unique is the focus of this year’s Dartmoor Society Debate, being held on Saturday, October 21 in Meldon Village Hall.

The day’s programme will explore the geological diversity of Dartmoor’s stone (Kevin Page, University of Plymouth), the archaeological legacy of stonecutting and quarrying (Tom Greeves, cultural environmentalist), and the importance of local stone for the maintenance of historic buildings (Stuart Blaylock, historic buildings specialist).

After lunch, the story of the two remaining quarries within Dartmoor National Park will be told — Glendinnings Quarry at Ashburton employs 230 staff, while Yennadon Quarry at Dousland has a workforce of 24.

Speakers will be Ian Glendinning and Barry Wilson (Glendinnings) and Andrea Robertson (John Grimes Partnership Ltd).

The day’s programme, entitled Are We Using Dartmoor’s Stone Resources Wisely? runs from 10am to 5pm. For more information go to www.dartmoorsociety. com/events.