Your guide to Cotswold stone
Think of the Cotswolds, and the first thought that comes to mind is of picturesque villages with endearing charm and elegant towns with noble personalities. Cotswold Stone characterises the villages and towns, making the stone an embedded part of the area’s character.
In reality, Cotswold Stone is as diverse as the Cotswolds itself, with a beautiful palette of different shades. However, all Cotswold Stone is Jurassic oolitic limestone. Using this stone in various ways is how the Cotswolds seamlessly blends the natural and human-developed environment. So it’s no surprise that today, Cotswolds Stone remains in high demand as a building material.
Why choose Cotswold Stone?
The use of Cotswold Stone is prevalent in the Cotswolds and further afield. As a natural, durable and sustainable building material, it is enticing. It is unique, dependent on the individual quarry, in terms of shade and patterning with flecks of fossils. But it is also uniformly distinctive. As such, it is a beautiful, versatile, and naturally robust stone.
Why is Cotswold Stone so popular?
Cotswold Stone has many uses, from private homes to grand public buildings. It’s in demand for landscaping projects, dry stone walls, flooring, feature walls, pathways, public areas and more. But what makes Cotswold Stone so popular?
1. Strength and durability
Taking millions of years to form, Cotswold Stone has already stood the test of time and continues to withstand the elements effectively. As a result, it will last for generations to come.
2. Versatility
Cotswold Stone is a natural stone used in many different ways, from architectural masonry to new kitchen flooring. It is a practical yet beautiful choice in many different settings. It’s easy to carve and use without the risk of splits and cracks.
3. Natural and sustainable
Choosing Cotswold Stone is a green decision when sourced from responsible quarries like Johnston Quarry Group. It has notable eco advantages over manufactured building materials such as cement. Additionally, natural stone is energy-efficient, creating warm properties in winter and cool dwellings in summer.
4. Aesthetics
The beauty of this limestone, known affectionately as Cotswold Stone, is part of the region’s identity and is increasingly chosen beyond the Cotswolds itself. It’s rightly popular for its aesthetic appeal.
Where does Cotswold Stone come from?
As hinted above, Cotswold Stone isn’t a single type of stone. Instead, it’s a collection of limestones characteristic of the earth beneath the Cotswolds and the surrounding region. That’s why Cotswold Stone encompasses the pale beige-greys of the south of the region, the golden colours of the central and northern area and the pale milky-honey and blues of Stoke Ground Bath Stone.
Between 206 and 144 million years ago, the Cotswold region was under a warm sea, forming Cotswold Stone. The layers of shell fragments on the seabed built up, creating the limestone, and you can still see these oolites in the stone today.
Used since Neolithic times, with an explosion in building use in the 18th and 19th centuries, it remains popular now. The region has mined Cotswold Stone for centuries, and we can continue to bring you sustainably sourced Cotswolds Stone today.
Specific types of Cotswold Stone available today
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