Slate used for war memorial

Kirkstone, a supplier of English slate and imported architectural stone, has provided its Light Sea Green and Brathay Blue Black slate for the fabrication of a new memorial to honor the nations involved in tunneling activities during World War I.

Erected in Givenchy, France, following years of planning and fundraising, the 2-meter-high memorial represents the actual dimensions of the confined space in which the tunnelers worked.

The different hand-worked surface finishes of Kirkstone’s Silver Green and Brathay slate also represent the end grain of the wooden timbers used by the tunnelers to represent their “frame and sett” method of tunnel construction, consisting of props and lintels.

Two large facia panels of honed slate built into the design are inscribed with detailed insignia, including intricate drawings and a “T” cutaway to match the shoulder patches worn by those serving in the tunneling companies, commemorating all those who served underground in their crucial, yet often clandestine role during the conflict.