AN ICONIC Lakeland quarrying business has closed with the loss of nearly 40 jobs.

Kirkstone Quarries, established in 1949, ceased trading on Thursday and was placed in administration on Monday.

Staff, who it is understood were given no prior notice, were said to be in shock.

A spokesman for Carlisle-based administrators Armstrong Watson said: “The company ceased trading on Thursday, March 15, and all 39 employees have been made redundant.

“We are assessing various options for the future of the company and its assets.

“Our investigations into the company’s affairs and the events leading up to the administration appointment are at an early stage. We are currently unable to comment on the likely outcome for the company or its creditors.”

Managing director Nick Fecitt, the son of the company’s founder Harry Fecitt, was unavailable for comment.

In October, Kirkstone Quarries closed its Kendal showroom and opened a new display area at its Skelwith Bridge headquarters and stone finishing facility. It also had a showroom in Fulham, west London.

Kirkstone’s main quarry and fabrication site is on the top of Kirkstone Pass with a second quarry site near Hawkshead.

The company has won awards for its stone and slate products and has provided products such as flooring, counters, interior cladding and water features for architectural projects in Britain, Europe, Hong Kong and the USA.

It employed highly-skilled teams of rockhands, sawyers, polishers and masons as well as administrative staff.

However, in recent years, natural stone quarries have faced intense competition from imported stone, especially from India, South America and China.

Sally Finney, marketing executive at Lake District-based Burlington Stone, said: “Along with Kirkstone Quarries, we at Burlington Stone have been battling against a lot of imported stone coming into the UK. We feel at the moment that there isn’t really a level playing field in England for selling our products.

“For example, when we sell finished stone products to China we face a 30 per cent tax, while Chinese stone can be brought into this country without incurring such a tax.

“There is no protection for English stone with all its environmental credentials. Recently, we had a situation where Burlington stone was specified for the new Birmingham Library, yet the builders ended up using stone from China.”