{"id":81173,"date":"2026-09-05T12:40:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/81173\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T12:40:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:40:29","slug":"lancashire-stone-helps-boost-famous-barcelona-basilica-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/81173\/","title":{"rendered":"Lancashire stone helps boost famous Barcelona basilica"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most famous religious buildings in the world now has a unique connection to Lancashire, it has emerged.<\/p>\n

Stone from Brinscall Quarry in Chorley has been used to help get Barcelona’s landmark Sagrada Fam\u00edlia building up to its final height.<\/p>\n

The sandstone mined there was found to be the right match for the stone being used for the 144-year-old basilica, which has famously remained under construction ever since its first stone was laid in 1882.<\/p>\n

Emma Armstrong, owner of Armstrong’s Aggregates, which runs the quarry, said: “It’s such a great honour to be part of it.”<\/p>\n

The basilica was designed by revered architect Antoni Gaud\u00ed and its distinctive ornate design towers over the Catalan city and draws tourists from around the globe.<\/p>\n

When its Tower of Jesus Christ was put in place, it became the tallest church in the world, standing at 566ft (172.5m).<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Stone mined at the quarry was found to be a perfect match for the basilica’s requirements [Armstrong’s Aggregates]<\/p>\n

This milestone was helped along by sandstone from the Lancashire quarry, which was carefully selected by a team carrying out the work on the basilica.<\/p>\n

The quarry uses specialist machinery to maintain the integrity of the stone, and has been working with the project for 16 years.<\/p>\n

Explaining how it all came about, Armstrong said: “They rang us up and we thought it was a joke at first.<\/p>\n

“But they had scoured around the world and this is the only match, and the only stone that will resist the ozone and the temperature and everything else there.”<\/p>\n

The basilica is not the only project the firm has been involved in, and continues to work on buildings closer to home.<\/p>\n

Armstrong said: “We’ve done quite a few famous football stars’ houses. We’ve done Hey Hall in Wigan, the terrace gardens up at Rivington and Darwen town centre’s paving.”<\/p>\n

Sagrada Fam\u00edlia architects are scheduled to come to Lancashire later this month to inspect the latest batch of stone which has been mined and is ready to go.<\/p>\n

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds<\/a> and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.<\/p>\n

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