At the summit of Wendowen’s Peak stood an ancient granite monolith; a solitary motionless statue silhouetted against a bleak, unforgiving landscape. Impervious to the elements, it prevailed on the site for at least three thousand years, a silent reminder of the ancient civilisation who, with primitive tools, skilfully shaped and inscribed it, and who ultimately managed to transport it to its final location.
It was visited by an extremely small number of people, due to the fact that the surrounding terrain was so steep and undulating, and therefore challenging to navigate. Those that were lucky enough to complete the journey however, described it as a cathartic, almost life changing experience; a pilgrimage that provided an insight into the past and an opportunity to wonder at a monument unsurpassed in its historic relevance and importance.
In 1972, Abalone Kitchens, an outfit based in Bracknell UK, bought the land surrounding the monolith and began to quarry the area. By then, the monolith had already become well renowned among hippies and feckless, stoned students from affluent parents (probably on a gap year), and subsequently, a number of Abalone Kitchen’s wealthier clients began to inquire as to the possibility of acquiring a piece of the monolith for their kitchen surfaces.
Abalone Kitchens inevitably bent to economic pressure and acquiesced to their clients’ requests. The monolith was broken into pieces and the granite cut, polished and sold off. It then found its way into the houses of the rich and famous to serve as a solid base for enthusiastic vegetable preparation, and a point-scoring conversation topic at inane dinner events. Although the majority of the monolith is now sadly lost, thankfully there are a few significant pieces that remain and, despite violent protestations (predominantly from the British Museum), Abalone Kitchens have resisted the urge to let them leave their warehouse to languish in some dusty display cabinet in central London.
If you have a kitchen project that requires a large area of workspace in a granite that is frankly incomparable, and is the true epitome of tragic historical debasement, then give Abalone Kitchens a call today. They ship worldwide. You can call them on…
