With over 27 years of experience in the stone masonry industry, specialising in hammered stone work projects like stone retaining walls, stone feature walls and pillars, stone steps / Stairs, stone paths and flagging (Stone paving).
LONG STRIDE STONE MASONRY was founded in 2011 by Paul Da Quinta. Originally from the Algarve province in Portugal, Paul was mentored by Master Stone Masons during his apprenticeship, learning the artisanal skills of extracting the stone from the ground in the quarry to the installation of the dressed stone where it would finally rest, structurally retaining or bearing loads, while pleasing visually.
Extracting, splinting and dressing stone would be done with few tools: crowbar, sledge hammer, lump hammer and a combination of chisels, all used in an persons hands, no machinery involved.
Since the 80's clever machinery has come to innovate the work done in the quarry, but the installation of the stone is still done by hand in a artisanal fashion, and LONG STRIDE STONE MASONRY will honor the traditional skills while searching ways to innovate.