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About our specialist stonemasons


One of Bishop’s Stortford’s oldest businesses, J Day & Son is known for producing quality headstones and bespoke memorials. 

Established in 1820 as a builder’s yard and located in Station Road since 1912, the firm moved into stonemasonry in 1914. Today, J Day & Son boasts more than 20 local employees and last year, having outgrown its Station Road premises, the owners – fourth generation brothers Nigel and Stephen Pegrum – made the decision to move the business to Twyford Road Industrial Estate. 

The company has seen many changes over the years. Whilst Douglas Pegrum, the current owners’ grandfather, used a horse and cart to fix headstones and ran the enterprise alongside serving as a firefighter during the Second World War, today J Day & Son is a national business. Over the past 30 years, improved transport links and the advent of computers have enabled the family firm to flourish beyond Bishop’s Stortford. Some processes, however, remain the same: J Day & Son still employs talented and experienced masons, carvers and hand letter cutters who work traditionally to manufacture memorials from natural stone.


Nigel Pegrum, Managing Director of J Day & Son, said, “My brother and I are incredibly proud to be leading J Day & Son into its third century. Stonemasonry remains a much-valued skill, often passed down from generation to generation, and thankfully modern technology and tightened regulations have made it a much safer trade than it was 100 years ago. As we expand into our new premises, we remain as dedicated to providing our customers in Bishop’s Stortford and further afield with the same quality craftsmanship that we’ve been known for over the past 200 years

We have one of the widest range of memorials available for our London and Hertfordshire clients and you will find our brochure very helpful and informative. Alternatively we have an extensive showroom which we invite you to visit. This will allow our experienced and highly skilled stonemasons to show you the many materials and designs we have available.

If you would like to visit our showroom, make an enquiry on our memorials or would like to ask about our headstone cleaning and other services, get in contact with our stonemasons. They will be more than happy to go through any requirements you have and provide you with any information you need.

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Areas Covered

Over the years, we have gradually expanded the coverage of our valued service to encompass a wider community, reaching Hertford, Watford, Enfield, Barnet, Epping, Hoddesdon, Braintree, Potters Bar, Welwyn Garden City, Chigwell, Broxbourne, St Pancras, London, Cheshunt, Hatfield, Loughton, Parndon Wood, Saffron Walden, St Albans, Waterford, Harlow, Bishops Stortford and various places in between.

While we have a huge variety of memorial options, we also welcome the chance to design and craft a specific item for you. We have years of expertise behind us and our stonemasons have worked on many bespoke designs for customers.

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As Hertfordshire and London's leading stonemasons, we have strong relationships with many of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of granite, marble and stone.

We can therefore offer you the most comprehensive and competitive service.

Before choosing the gravestone or memorial, you will need to be aware of the various regulations laid down by the particular churchyard or cemetery. We are able to advise and obtain the necessary permission for your choice of memorial. An overview of these rules and regulations can be viewed on our Advice page.

Advice

We will work alongside you to make sure that your loved one's memorial is the perfect tribute. We provide our diverse, time served and friendly stonemasonry services throughout Hertfordshire, Essex and the North London boroughs. The areas we cover include Harlow, Edgware, Epping, Saffron Walden, Bishop's Stortford, Hertford, Cheshunt, St Pancras, Braintree, Ware, Enfield, Parndon Wood, Hoddesdon, Potters Bar, Welwyn Garden City, Harpenden, Broxbourne, Barnet, London, Roydon, Hatfield, St Albans, Chigwell and Loughton.