The Last Source

[admin]

What are your  opinions  on this?

Their ad. claims  they are "The last source of English Tufa Rock"

If it's "the last" should they be digging it up and selling it?

http://www.derbyshiretufa.co.uk/

[mark smyth]

This tufa was mentioned last Saturday in Dublin. I'd say it's hype. There is tufa in southern Ireland at a secret location

[mark smyth]

Sticking his arm in at those prices. My 2 big lumps cost only £20 or £30 during the Ulster Group trip to Wales

[Maggi Young]

Speaking personally, I'd rather buy some Swedish Peat blocks!

[DaveM]

As conservation minded gardeners, I think we need to be very careful here. There are many many examples of tufa deposits in the UK. Small deposits are by no means uncommon, but would pass unnoticed to the average person; typically these form around springs. There are some deposits that are larger and developed along river valleys. However, none are on the scale of those deposits seen in the countries of the former Yugoslavia or indeed of China, where there are some humungous examples. Many UK sites where tufa is still forming today are protected sites (including SSSI and Special Areas for Conservation - SACs), at least in part because of the associated flora. Mostly because of their size these are fragile habitats and formation is relatively slow in our current climate. So, it is imperative that you should ensure that your source comes from an outcrop that is 'dead'. One such 'dead' example is that at Bodfari in North Wales. What is important is that no one should start bulldozing a 'live' tufa deposit.

For those interested there is info on the Joint Nature Conservation Council website - just google 'jncc' and search on tufa.

[David Shaw]

I have to be unhappy about this sale of tufa.
Whilst some overseas sources are many tens of meters thick I believe that most British ones are fairly superficial and the number of localities very limited.
I suppose that it depends on how the supplier has come by his supply. If it has been deemed 'essential' to drive a new motorway or other development through the outcrop and it has to be destroyed anyway then it is better for it to be sold to gardeners rather than put to landfill. On the other hand if the tufa is being quarried purely as a commercial venture then I am opposed to it.
From my observation of the internet site I am minded to ask if this is good quality tufa or not. It looks like a very dense and solid material, unlike the local deposits near to where I live which is very honeycombed and porous.

[Martinr]

I'm no expert but I'm sure I've been told most Derbyshire tufa is , excuse the pun, rock hard and not much use for our purposes. OK for building the rockery, not so good for planting in.

[Maggi Young]

I'm no expert but I'm sure I've been told most Derbyshire tufa is , excuse the pun, rock hard and not much use for our purposes. OK for building the rockery, not so good for planting in.

That's what I have been told, too, Martin.  Looking at the( heavy) weights given for the dimension of the rocks on the website, I think it is fairly clear that this tufa  is pretty dense, solid stuff... not much use for drilling holes in to give Jankaeas a good home!!

[admin]

More me the issue is not so much its  hardness, more should it be exploited if it's England's "last source".

[Martinr]

Ah! Typical thread, wanders off the point Like David says it depends on the circumstances behind its removal.

p.s this is my 50th post. Does something special happen. Trumpet Fanfares? Cakes from Lesley? Don't suppose I'll get that lucky

[Maggi Young]

I'd reply to your query about celebrations for your fiftieth post, martin, but I dare not wander further "off topic" !

[afw]

Although agreeing with admin regarding the removal of tufa and seconding martin's remarks about the hardness of derbyshire tufa ,when I Googled 'tufa'  it came up with a fascinating tufa house around Wirksworth  ( I think) and with www. outland stone .co.uk with a whole variety of 'rare' stone suitable for growing alpines.

[Martinr]

The tufa house does indeed exist. The fact that it's still standing is testament to the local tufa being a little harder than you'd want for planting in.