Once upon a time, most of the paving stones in the streets of Stockholm came from Stenhamra quarry. The business started in 1884 when Stockholm city bought a whole granite mountain from a farmer in Stockby and started excavating. The site was named Stenhamra (“sten” means stone in Swedish). The stones were blasted and broken, put on carriages drawn by a steam locomotive and then - on barges that carried them all the way to Stockholm. About 130 workers were employed year-round. It was a hard and dangerous job, and many workers were killed in blast accidents. In addition, they suffered from rheumatism, tuberculosis and lung problems caused by stone dust. In 1937 cheaper stones became available in Blekinge and Bohuslän regions, and Stenhamra business was closed. Most of Stockholm roads have been later covered with asphalt but original pavement stones from Stenhamra quarry can still be found today, for example in Gärdet. 

After its closure the quarry was used as the filming location for several Swedish movies such as  Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking), Bröderna Lejonhjärta (The Brothers Lionheart), Love Boogie, Sökarna (The Seekers), Vägen till Klockrike (The Road to Klockrike) and Beröringen (The Touch) by Ingmar Bergman. 

The quarry is now filled with water and looks like a magnificent lake. Nothing reminds of its industrial past.