Stone UK now offers a comprehensive product range of fixing and aftercare products.

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Julian

When we supply our stone we often get asked for help and advice about preparation and aftercare of the stone. At Stone UK we are always happy to offer top class advice about the installation and aftercare of your stone.

As a result we now supply a high quality range of stone fixing and aftercare products called Stone Fix to make sure that the high quality stone we supply is installed using the best fixing and stone care products available.

Call us today on 01995 600 551 for more information or visit our web site here.

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Chester’s Commonhall Street steps back in time.

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Julian

Stoneuk are proud to have supplied Chester Renaissance in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council English sandstone and granite cobbles for part of Chester’s centuries old Commonhall Street.

The street was named after the Common Hall of Pleas  which was built in the 13th Century.  Led by Chester Renaissance the project to develop the street is part of the vision of creating an ‘artisan quarter’ in the city centre.

The image opposite show how the street looked prior to the new work being carried out.

The new design of the street was more reconstruction than a new design.

Guidance for the new layout of the street was derived from old photographic images from the 1920′s and a painting from the 1880′s.

Rita Waters, Chief Executive of Chester Renaissance, said: “We are delighted that, following discussions with traders and businesses, these improvement works to the entrance of Commonhall Street will enhance the area and we hope will contribute positively to the trading environment of the area.”

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Is it possible to take an interesting photograph of a wall?

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Julian

They are part of the fabric of the English countryside and can be hundreds of years old.   Dry stone walls have been used throughout the world as far back as 5000 BC to act as field enclosures for farming livestock and marking out boundaries.   Typically made from locally sourced stone such as slate, limestone or sandstone dry stone walls are made with a great deal of skill and patience.

Photograph by: Marina Cook from her book Stone Walls: Personal Boundaries

I stumbled across this post on the Radio 4 Today website which has a slide show of photographer Marina Cook’s work on stone walls from her book “Stone Walls: Personal Boundaries”. More images are available on the website here.  There is a slide show of some beautiful images of drystone walls taken by Marina Cook.  Also there are some lovely pictures of stone walls taken by Radio 4 Today show listeners.  Is it possible to take an interesting photograph of a wall?  In my opinion yes, the natural form of the stone with the skill of craftsman illustrates the relationship we have with the natural environment.

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The Cartford Inn – Reclaimed York stone paving project

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Julian

Earlier this year stoneuk had the pleasure to supply authentic York stone paving for the renovation of the Cartford Inn located in the village of Little Eccleston, Lancashire. The inn dates back to the 17th century and is full of character and charm, not surprisingly the client chose reclaimed York stone paving because of its authentic age worn quality. The project was to supply stone for the pub garden and the new restaurant.

 

The pub garden at the Cartford Inn

The pub garden is located at the rear of the inn with walls on three sides with an open aspect that provides a lovely view of the river Wyre and the fields and woods beyond. Existing stone was used along with reclaimed York stone to create a traditional court yard design. With respect to the age of the property there is an eclectic mix of building styles and materials used. As such the paving stones used complement the old and new building.

Reclaimed York stone internal paving

 

The inn has some excellent examples of reclaimed York stone and demonstrates how

stunning the material can look when used inside. The entrance to the inn has some beautiful examples of old worn reclaimed York stone paving and shows how evocative the stone can be of old world charm. With and earthy paint scheme and some classic leather furniture the entrance to the inn is warm and inviting.

The restaurant is tastefully decorated with lots of artwork and a ragtag assortment of antique furniture. All of which works well with the reclaimed York stone floor. Reclaimed stone can vary significantly in texture so to ensure a flat even surface we had to hand pick and clean the stone we supplied. We also had to choose stone that was moderately the same colour. The end result is a very good example of how good quality reclaimed York stone paving can look when laid inside.

The Cartford Inn is and award winning pub managed by Julie and Patrick Beaume. The inn is listed in the 2012 Good Food Guide, The 2012 Michelin Eating out in pubs guide. For more information visit their website at http://www.thecartfordinn.co.uk.

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The RIBA’s Best Buildings of 2011 Special

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Julian

Just watched the RIBA’s Best Buildings of 2011 hosted by Kevin McCloud on the iPlayer.  There were some absolutely amazing houses and commercial buildings that showcase the skill and creativity of British architects.

Browns Dental Practice - Architect Stephen Shepherd

It’s fantastic to see that architects and clients are looking towards building with natural materials like wood and especially stone.  If you are passionate about architecture then I recommend you watch the video from the link below, there are some truly stunning examples of new British architecture.

via BBC iPlayer – The Culture Show: 2011/2012: The RIBA’s Best Buildings of 2011 Special.

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Stonecare TV – Visits Stoneuk

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Julian

Last Friday Mike Philbin from StonecareTV popped round to our Stone Workshop in Garstang to view our range of natural stone products.  Like us Mike is passionate about natural stone and the environment and has designed a range of environmentally friendly stone cleaners and sealers.  During his visit he had time to make this quick video with the managing director of Stoneuk, David Evans.

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Reclaimed York Stone £48 square yard

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Julian

We have some lovely examples of Reclaimed old York stone paving in stock.  We currently have over 200 square yards and are giving it away at only £48 square yard.  For more information call Lee on 01995 600 551.

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Riven York Stone Paving only £38yrd2

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Julian

We currently have approximately 400 square yards of New Riven York Stone Paving in stock.  The stone has a beautiful riven texture and is available in buff tones.  The stone has a sawn edge and is available in random rectangular pieces.  We are selling the stone at only £38 a square yard.

Riven York Stone Video

The New Riven stone we supply has been quarried and crafted in Yorkshire and is 100% authentic York Stone paving.  Call Lee today on 01995 600 551 today these stocks won’t last long.

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Natural Stone or Precast Stone?

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Julian

The use of artificial stone for building has been around since the late Roman period.  Used for structural applications the Romans used precast stone.  The durability of precast is proven and examples can be seen throughout Rome.  A prime example of this durability is the Pantheon, nearly 2000 years after it was built the concrete dome remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.  Ever since the Romans, precast stone has been used for replacement building stone and the manufacture of ornamental features such as garden statues.

Nowadays precast stone is used extensively throughout the building industry and is made to high standards allowing for easy manufacture, durability and strength.  Yet for all its benefits can precast stone better locally sourced quarried natural stone?  The building stone we quarry is locally sourced stone and has been used widely in the cottages, farm houses, civic buildings and stately homes that surround us.  Where the stone has specific tones, colour bands and patterns can a manufactured product compete with natural stone? Moreover price is not really an issue, admittedly very intricate stone work can be more expensive compared to using a precast mould however, building stones such as cills, lintels, copings and steps can be made from natural stone at comparable prices.

What are the deciding factors when choosing natural stone or precast stone, I can only think that its a matter of convenience.  Both natural and precast stone have proven to be durable lasting for hundreds of years and in most cases cost should not be considered an issue as natural stone can be supplied at comparable prices.  My only conclusion is that there is a misunderstanding about natural stone in terms of its cost and availability. All things being equal given the choice would you choose a piece of reproduction furniture over the origional?

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York Stone Rockery Stone

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Julian

York stone rocks are ideal for making a natural looking rockery. The shape and colour of the stone contrasts well with rockery plants and as the plants grow a well thought out rockery can look very natural. To achieve the best results we recommend using various sizes of York stone to allow for a natural looking distribution of the planting on your rockery. Additionally the stones often have lines running horizontally across the stone, this banding was created as sediments settled on the ancient riverbed that eventually became the rock. For the sake of creating a more realistic look its important to lay the stones horizontal in relation to the banding on each rock.

York stone rocks and waterfall feature

York stone rockery and waterfall

York stone rockery stones

York stone rockery stones

At stoneuk we have large quantities of York stone rocks. We have one ton bags available from £50 excluding VAT and delivery. For more information call us on 01995 600 551, because we have our own quarry we can supply large quantities of rockery stone from smaller rocks or if you want something really impressive why not have a huge boulder for a feature stone.

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