Which stone is right for you?

Advice
This is a question we get asked a lot, so we thought we’d answer it here in as much detail as we can to help make it easier to find your way through our range. Different stone options come with all kinds of benefits – price, durability and appearance can all vary a lot – so it’s not hard to get confused. Rest assured, our simple starter guide will give you a snapshot of the six options we offer, so you’ll be that bit closer to knowing which stone is right for you.

Portland

Quarried in Dorset, Portland is quintessentially British, which is why you will find it in some of the UK’s most famous buildings – including St Paul’s Cathedral. In terms of quality, it doesn’t get any better. Our most premium range gives you a distinctive soft, off-white to light grey colouring, and will continue looking stunning for many decades. A number of our Portland options will let you achieve a consistent indoor-outdoor look, if that’s a priority, plus you get the feel-good factor of buying British with fewer carbon miles. 

Purbeck

Purbeck is pure pre-historic class. Quarried on the Jurassic Coast, it’s been used in some very famous projects (Westminster Abbey and Edward the Confessor’s shrine to name but two) so should be more than capable of handling yours. Purbeck stone has more colour options that Portland, some of which are suitable for an indoor /outdoor look. The Jurassic character is extremely prevalent in several looks – with shells and other fossils prominent in the grain.   

Like Portland and York stone, Purbeck is a more eco-friendly solution and fully bespoke options are available on selected ranges. Whatever look you love, it’s been in the making for around 150 million years so will definitely last you a lifetime.

York stone

Quarried in the UK, Yorkshire’s finest is the last word in durability – the ultimate weather-proof, indestructible stone. It also has a highly distinctive appearance that just looks better and better over time. Colours and grains are fairly broad, including some richly veined options with loads of character – which could be perfect or not, depending on personal taste. 

York stone has long been used in buildings and streets the length and breadth of the country, and because it’s entirely quarried in Yorkshire – by local stonemasons – it comes with added feel good points. And if you want a look no one else has, fully bespoke options are readily available on all our York stone options.

Porcelain

Porcelain is incredibly strong and hard wearing, and its pale, contemporary look endures extremely well without asking much in terms of maintenance. Much of this is down to its non-porous surface. Because porcelain doesn’t absorb water easily, algae and moss aren’t as much of a problem. Porcelain paving also won’t change colour in the sun, which means it retains that minimalist, pale colouring for longer. All our porcelain options are ideal for achieving a smooth flow from indoor to out. 

Spanish

Whilst not quite as good quality as British stone, Spanish stone offers excellent value and we’ve handpicked the best there is. This kind of simple, classic sandstone is a budget-friendly alternative to York Stone, and comes with just as many options for a fully bespoke look across your project.

Indian

Sandstone quarried in India again offers our best value option if you’re finding everything else out of your range. It comes in a wealth of colour profiles, from off-white and taupe through to sandy and distinctive veined brown or green colourings, giving you lots of choice – including mixing colours for a really distinctive, personalised look.