French Limestone
French Limestone has a deserved reputation for being a high quality stone. It has been used for centuries in some of the world’s greatest buildings. There are many different stones from quarries throughout France that are suitable
for all types of projects.
Our range includes:
Anstrude, Avy, Ampilly, Balzac, Beaumaniere, Beaunotte, Beauval, Beauvallon, Beauvillon, Bleu de Vix, Bleu de Lignieres, Boisvillon, Brauvilliers, Bretigny, Buffon, Buxy, Caen, Chandore, Charmot, Chamesson, Champagny, Chanceaux, Chassagne, Chauvigny, Chitré, Combe Brune, Comblanchien, Corton, Coulmier, Drom, Euville, Farges, Fontbelle, Frontenac, Hauteville, Hauteroche, Jaumont, La Croix Huyart, Lacome, Larrys, Lavoux, Legnes, Lens, Limeyrat, Luget, Magny, Mareuil, Massangis, Montigny, Montmoyen, Nod, Noyant, Pierre de Bourgogne, Pompignan, Richemont, Roche de Clermont, Rocheret, Rocherons, Rocheval, Rocheville, Ruoms, St Albain, St Maximin, St Pierre Aigle, Sainte Croix, Savonnieres, Sireuil, Souppes, Tavel, Tercé, Tervoux, Val de Nod, Valanges, Vallangis, Vassens, Vilhonneur, Villebois.
Within this range, many of the quarries have several layers or beds of stone (known as benches) that can have different technical and aesthetic properties. Please call and we will be happy to discuss the details.
The most popular of our French Limestones are shown in more detail below but if you do not see what you want, please get in touch.
(Please note: the stone commonly known as “Dijon” limestone is NOT French – usually, it refers to the Egyptian limestone, Sinai Pearl. It is quite common for Egyptian and Turkish stones to be given a French sounding name, often related to Burgundy.)
Avy
Description: White limestone with unusual white shell fossils. Quarried near Angouleme, south west France.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Ampilly
Description: Very hard wearing, frost resistant Burgundy limestone with light, medium and darker shades.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Beauval
Description: Hard wearing, frost resistant limestone from the quarry next door to Ampilly.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Beauval Beaunotte
Buxy
Description: A hard limestone from southern Burgundy. Mostly beige but with some grey/blue variations.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Caen
Description: Heritage limestone used in hundreds of ancient buildings in the UK and across France. First introduced into the UK by William the Conqueror.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Chandore
Description: A hard limestone often used in commercial or public areas.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Hauteville
Chamesson
Description: Off-white/cream background with small grey/brown shell fossils. Hard wearing premium stone from northern Burgundy.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Champagny
Description: Light Beige background with small brown shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Semond
Chanceaux
Description: Classic “Pierre de Bourgogne” limestone with variable colours ranging from off-white through to dark “yellow” with occasional honey coloured ribboning.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Pierre de Bourgogne, Hauteroche
Chauvigny
Description: A white oolitic limestone from the Poitiers region of France.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Chitré
Description: Famous for its use as the building stone of the French Loire Valley Chateaux buildings.
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Tuffeau
Combe Brune
Description: A white limestone with fine grey shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Comblanchien
Description: One of the Burgundy hard limestones. Beige with some rose colourings particularly when flamed.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Ladoix
Corton
Description: A very hard limestone from Burgundy. Mostly beige but with occasional rose colouring depending on the bench.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: St Benedict
Coulmier
Description:
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Lanvignes, Vallangis Jaune
Frontenac
Description: Beige limestone from the Bordeaux region. Available as “Demi Dur”, “Coquille”, “Dur” and “Dur Marbrier”
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry
Other names: n/a
Lavoux
Description: Off-white stone with fine grain and good frost resistance. Used as a replacement for Caen stone.
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Lépine
La Croix Huyart
Description:
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Limeyrat
Description: Hard stone that is very variable in colour from near white through beige, brown and grey.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding
Other names: Manoir, Loire Rustique, Dordogne, Vienne
Luget
Description: A hard wearing stone ranging from pale beige to darker “yellow” beige.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Mareuil
Description: A hard wearing cream coloured limestone from south west France.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: St Croix
Massangis
Description: A beige limestone ranging from light beige to dark beige with small shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Pompignan
Description: A hard grey limestone from the Lyon region of France
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry
Other names: n/a
Rocheville
Description: A hard wearing beige stone with some grey fossils and sometimes yellow ribboning. Excellent frost resistance and great for patio flooring as well as building cladding. Can be similar to English Clipsham in colour.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
St Maximin
Description: A beige limestone from the Paris region. Famous for its use on the historic buildings in the Champs Elysée.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
St Pierre Aigle
Description:
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Valanges
Description: A medium density limestone with a cream background and pale grey shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Charmot (cross cut)
Vassens
Description: A coarse grain
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Vilhonneur
Description:
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External flooring, Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Samples of French Limestone
We keep small samples of many of these French Limestones in our samples showroom in Arborfield near Reading, Berkshire that you can take away with you. We also have larger samples to view. Small samples can be sent out by post or courier. The samples are free of charge but we ask that you cover the cost of the postage.
For trade customers only, we have a separate web site purely for French limestone, marble and granite which is operated in conjunction with several of the major French quarries.
Architects, designers and stone trade professionals can visit Pierre Heritage GB.
