What is ironstone?
Ironstone is a dense, sedimentary rock rich in iron compounds, typically giving it a distinctive warm, rusty brown or ochre colour. It forms over millions of years through the accumulation of iron minerals in shallow marine or freshwater environments, often binding with sand, silt, or clay. The result is a hard, durable stone with a naturally weathered appearance that has made it a sought-after building material for centuries.
In the UK, ironstone is most commonly found in areas such as Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire—regions that sit within the broader East Midlands. These ironstone beds were extensively quarried throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, not for building, but for their iron content, which was extracted and smelted for the steel industry. This large-scale extraction continued until the 1970s, when British steel production declined and many of the quarries were closed.
Today, ironstone continues to be extracted for the construction industry. Ironstone can be sawn or cropped to produce natural stone products that are suitable for house building and landscaping projects in traditional ironstone bearing regions within the midlands.
What ironstone products are available?
We provide a wide range of natural ironstone products, we supply anything from walling stone to architectural masonry. Our range of walling includes sawn and cropped, reclaimed and new building stone. Our quoins, headers and sills are perfect for new developments where traditional building techniques are being observed. Reclaimed ironstone is a scarce building material that we are able to supply cropped or uncropped for restoration projects.
Our new cropped ironstone building stone is available for house building projects where a rustic appearance is required. Cropped to 150mm on bed, the stone is suitable for modern building regulations where a cavity is required. Our course heights vary from 2" upto 8" and feature random lengths of stone. This stone works perfectly for landscaping in garden walls as well as in traditional house building development projects.
Our premium reclaimed ironstone is available either cropped to a 150mm bed or uncropped for use in restoration projects. Hand-dressed and prepared, it features a worn authentic finish that simply isn't replicable with new stone.
Sawn on bed ironstone building stone is perfect for house building and garden projects. Our sawn-on-bed ironstone is sawn to set course heights of 65, 90, 115 & 140mm and cropped to 100mm on bed. The cropped face produces a rustic finish to the wall whilst the sawing allows for uniform courses and faster laying times that lower stonemason laying costs.
Looking to finish off the top of your wall? For a rustic finish suitable for garden walls, try our ironstone Cock n' hen coping stone. Cock & hen wall copes area a traditional way of finishing off dry stone and mortared walls. For a more contemporary look, why not try sawn coping stones? These are sawn on all 6 sides and are hand-finished by skilled stonemasons.
Where is ironstone used?
Ironstone has traditionally been used in house and wall building for hundreds of years. It was used extensively in Northamptonshire & Rutland in villages and towns such as Geddington, Uppingham, Brixworth, Northampton, Oakham & Harlestone. It was also used in areas around Leicestershire such as the villages around Market Harborough. In Lincolnshire, Iironstone was used in many villages and was often mixed with limestone to create a beautiful array of colours. Further south in Oxfordshire, historic towns such as Deddington were predominately built from the orangey brown stone and wouldn't look out of place on a postcard.
Anywhere where ironstone bearing ground existed, it was used in some moderation for building. Even window sills, quoins, headers & lintels were crafted from the natural material. Wellingborough and Finedon feature a large number of ironstone properties thanks to the extensive quarrying in the local area.
Ironstone get stronger as it weathers (unlike other types of sandstone), this means that many buildings have been very well preserved and will continue to stand for generations to come.
How do I purchase ironstone for my project?
As suppliers of ironstone building stone, walling stone and architectural stone, we can assist with any projects involving ironstone building materials. Whether that be ironstone rockery for your landscaping project or building stone for your house development, we are your go to stone suppliers for natural ironstone products. For a bespoke quotation, such as for architectural stonemasonry, please get in touch with us. Otherwise, prices can be found on our website for most ironstone walling and building stone. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
