Matthew Charlton & Sons Ltd was established in 1842 in Stamfordham, Northumberland, England . Matthew Charlton founded the company as a roofing contractor having served his apprenticeship and ventured out into his own business.
The company has grown over the past 165 years and today is run by Angus Charlton, the sixth generation of The Charlton Family. Early records from the company archives show slate being bought from the Welsh quarries as early as the 1870's. One reason for the companies location in Hexham is it's close proximity to the railway station, as in the early days all slate was transported to our depot by rail.
Today the company is still a slate merchant and is also involved in sourcing a wide range of products from the far east and South America in particular Brazil.
Since 2001 the company has invested in its own slate quarry in Province of Shaanxi, China, where the highest quality slate can be found. We have been awarded all the highest ranking quality certificates for the slate produced at our quarry.
Having been involved in slate and roofing for all his life Angus Charlton spent many years looking for the right quality of slate in China.
This search has resulted in the join venture company set up in Shaanxi Province in China which produces some of the best slate available in the world today. We are very proud of not only our great product but also our teams in the UK and China who work so hard to produce top quality roofing and flooring slate.
Through our Chinese business our slate is now exported to the UK, Germany, Sweden, Australia, USA, France, Spain, Japan and Ireland.
For a more in depth history of our company click here
Last Updated: May 18, 2010