Yorkstone is an iconic British stone that has been quarried in the Yorkshire region since mediaeval times. A tight grained, sedimentary rock formed over 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period containing quartz, iron oxides, clay, silica and field spar give the properties that allow this stone to handle the harshest of weather conditions. By the 18th century a large industry had developed and the first quarries or “delves” were extracting the stone from the valley sides.
Riven Yorkstone, comes from block that is often referred to as flag rock that is split with a chisel along the bedding planes, between the sedimentary layers by hand giving a rustic riven finish that soon blends into any garden environment and often providing a nice substitute for reclaimed Yorkstone.
New Sawn Yorkstone, which is cut to size from what is referred to as ashlar block out of the quarries provides the more contemporary look to any project with an even surface and finished dimensions it can be laid in several formats from the more traditional fixed width by random length to large format fixed size slabs throughout the pattern. New sawn Yorkstone comes in a number of colours from light buffs and beiges through to the darker greys and deeper tones either as a clean stone or with striations and varying colour tones each with it’s very own character. Sawn to size common applications include a wide array of masonry work to include copings, steps, cils, lintels, garden ornaments, walling, setts and eternal paving. The quarrymen who worked in the Yorkstone quarries were commonly referred to as “Delvers” (meaning to dig). Use of the name around Halifax would include The Delvers Arms or Delph Hill for example.
Reclaimed Yorkstone, again this stone comes in an array of shape size, grade and quality. From the large Rossendale Mill Flags that were used in the cotton mills and factories to the Yorkstone slabs that were laid for paving, inside churches and pedestrianised areas this stone carries an enormous amount of character which comes from not only its origin and the quarry from where it was extracted to how it was laid and the time it has been in situ. Often looking at the general wear gives us all too much of an idea of how much foot traffic it has seen and some of the best examples are to be seen inside churches and where there might be a concentration of foot traffic, like on a train platform or under a railway bridge for example.
This is an iconic English stone, now in high demand due to limited supply. Although a more expensive option it really does give that authentic finish to any project and more often than not a real story of where it was lifted from and how long it had been laid. It gives any project a piece of history, a legacy for future generations that has already stood the test of time.
For further information please contact us on:
enquiries@holleyhextall.co.uk
