Brecon
Products Used
Riverstone was entrusted with the task of helping one of Britain’s oldest and most prestigious schools.
Christ College in Brecon was established as a Dominican friary in the sixteenth century, before King Henry VIII authorised its conversion into a school. Nearly five hundred years later, it is regarded one of the best co-educational independent schools in the country, with 300 students.
In 2001, the College committed to a more than decade-long roof restoration programme – a challenging undertaking, given that a number of its buildings have Grade I and Grade II listings.
Originally, the school leadership naturally assumed that the existing roofs were made of Welsh slate – but actually, when it came to replacing it, it was discovered many of its buildings were roofed with Cornish Delabole slate instead.
Delabole, like all of Britain’s indigenous slates, is now very difficult if not impossible to get hold of – which made Riverstone the obvious alternative.
Riverstone has substituted for Delabole on dozens of projects throughout Cornwall and beyond. But it is also readily available – the SSQ-owned La Repressa Quarry in Argentina could supply as much as the school needed throughout its over ten-year renovation work.
The product was rigorously assessed by the Cadw and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, and approved for use.
