Hand-cut natural sandstone in Kandla Grey, Raj Green, Fossil Mint and more, in patio packs and single sizes. Free delivery anywhere in mainland Britain.
Indian sandstone has been the default British patio stone for a good twenty years, and for sound reasons. It is a genuine natural stone with real depth of colour, it weathers into a garden rather than sitting on top of it, and it costs a fraction of what equivalent British quarried stone would.
The appeal is variation. No two slabs are identical — you get banding, tonal shifts, the occasional fossil trace and edges that catch low sun. A sandstone patio looks handmade because it partly is: most of our range is riven, split along the stone's natural bedding plane rather than sawn flat.
Our range is 22mm calibrated, meaning the slabs are ground to a consistent thickness on the underside so they bed evenly. Uncalibrated stone varies enough to make laying genuinely difficult.
Nine colours in stock. Names vary between suppliers, so here is what each actually looks like.
The most-specified Indian sandstone in Britain, and the one most people mean when they say "grey sandstone patio". A soft silver-grey with paler bands of dove and pearl, and the occasional whisper of blue or warm buff. Cool enough to work against modern render and grey bifolds, soft enough not to fight a traditional planting scheme. If you want one safe choice, this is it.
Green, grey and rust-brown running through the same slab, sometimes through the same square foot. The most varied stone we sell and the most forgiving in a mature garden, because there is a tone in it to pick up almost any brick, fence or planting. Available calibrated and tumbled for a softer, aged edge.
Warm buff-yellow with pink and grey drifting through. Fossil Mint carries the faint fossil markings that give it its name. Yellow Mint is cleaner and more consistently golden, supplied sawn honed for a smoother, more contemporary surface. Both are the natural choice against red or buff brick, where grey can read cold.
Rich browns and warm reds with darker banding. The warmest stone in the range and the one that suits period properties and rural settings best. Looks particularly good wet, which in this country is most of the time.
The subtler end of the range. Rippon Buff is sawn honed, pale and even, and works well in formal layouts. York Buff is hand-cut with more character in the edges, and is the closest thing here to traditional Yorkstone at a fraction of the price. Camel Dust is a soft, sandy neutral — also hand-cut, and quietly one of the best sellers.
Deep charcoal-black, hand-cut, and the most striking stone we stock. Green planting against black sandstone is hard to beat. Also available calibrated and tumbled. The most expensive in the range and worth it if the look is what you are after.
The finish matters as much as the colour, and it is the part most people have never had explained.
| Finish | Edges | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-cut | Slightly irregular, split by hand | Cottages, period homes, informal gardens |
| Sawn honed | Straight, machine-cut, tight joints | Contemporary schemes, formal layouts |
| Calibrated & tumbled | Softened and rounded deliberately | An aged look from day one |
Hand-cut gives more character but needs slightly wider joints, because the edges are not perfectly straight. Sawn honed lays tighter and looks crisper, but loses some of the rustic quality people buy sandstone for. Tumbled is the compromise — sawn accuracy with worn edges.
Most of the range comes as a mix patio pack — 60 pieces in several sizes, designed to be laid in a random pattern. It is how sandstone has traditionally been laid, it avoids the grid-like look of a single size, and it means you are not left short of one particular slab.
Several colours are also available in single-size packs — usually 600 x 900mm or 600 x 600mm — if you want a regular, contemporary layout. Coverage per pack sits between roughly 18 and 20m² depending on the mix, and the exact figure is shown on every product page below.
Prices run from about £22.95 to £32.95 per m² with free UK mainland delivery included. As with any paving, order around 10% more than you measure to cover cuts and the occasional breakage.
Sandstone is porous. That is what gives it depth and warmth, and it is also what means it needs a little more attention than porcelain.
Sealing. Not compulsory, but we would recommend it. A breathable impregnating sealer slows down staining from barbecues, wine and leaf tannin, and makes algae easier to shift. Seal after laying once the stone is thoroughly dry, and expect to redo it every three to five years depending on exposure.
Black spots. The question we get asked most, and the one many suppliers avoid. Small dark spots can appear on sandstone, most commonly on Kandla Grey. They are a lichen growing on naturally occurring mineral deposits in the stone — not a fault, not dirt, and not something a jet wash will remove. A dedicated black spot remover deals with them; sealing beforehand makes them much less likely to take hold in the first place.
General cleaning. Warm soapy water and a stiff brush a couple of times a year. Keep pressure washers on a wide fan and well back — held close, they will erode the surface of the stone and leave permanent tracking.
Natural stone varies by definition, so a sample tells you far more than a photograph. Order free samples and look at them outdoors, wet and dry — sandstone changes considerably in the rain, and since this is Britain, that is worth knowing before you commit.
Delivery is free to UK mainland addresses, included in the price. Pallets arrive kerbside on an 18-tonne vehicle. If you would rather talk through colours or quantities first, we are an independent, family-run merchant in Preston and you can reach us on 01772 287622. If you are weighing sandstone against porcelain paving, we are happy to give you an honest comparison rather than a sales pitch.