Direct from the French Quarries
French Limestone
There is a French Limestone that suits every project. We can help identify the ideal stone for the job.
We are still adding more images to the web site and reading pages for specific stones. Please check back from time to time.
If you can’t see what you are looking for, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss options for your project.
French Limestone
French Limestone from Pierre Heritage and partner quarries.
Avy
Description: White limestone with unusual white shell fossils. Quarried near Angouleme, south west France.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving, 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 paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Beauval
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
Description: Hard wearing, frost resistant limestone from the quarry next door to Ampilly.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Champagny
Description: Light Beige background with small brown shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , 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: The classic “jaune” (yellow) limestone from Burgundy.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Lanvignes, Vallangis Jaune, Pietra dei Medici
Frontenac
Description: Off white to beige coloured stone for a variety of uses.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , 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. Highly regarded as a carving stone and for heritage buildings.
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Lépine
La Croix Huyart
Description:
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , 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 paving , 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 paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Magny
Description: One of France’s premium limestones from Burgundy.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding, Masonry
Other names: n/a
Mareuil
Description: A hard wearing cream coloured limestone from south west France. Excellent alternative to Cream Marfil.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: St Croix, Mareuil St Croix, Crema Luna
Massangis
Description: A classic beige limestone ranging from light beige to dark beige with small shell fossils.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , 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 paving , Wall cladding, Masonry
Other names: n/a
Richemont
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
Description: An off-white limestone commonly used as a building stone
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Rocheval
Description: A hard-wearing frost resistant limestone with various shades of brown.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving, 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 paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Ruoms
Description: A hard grey stone with some grey fossils. Excellent frost resistance and great for patio flooring as well as building cladding. .
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding
Other names: Chomerac
St Maximin
Description: A beige limestone from the Paris region. Famous for its use on the historic buildings in the Champs Elysée, Paris.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
St Pierre Aigle
Description:
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Tercé
Description: A white limestone used for building and masonry work.
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 from the Massangis quarry.
Suitable for: Internal flooring, External paving , Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: Charmot (cross cut)
Vassens
Description: A coarse grained limestone from Paris often used alongside or instead of St Maximin
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
Vilhonneur
Description: A white limestone with small brown or grey shell fossils.
Suitable for: Wall cladding, Masonry, Carving
Other names: n/a
The full range of French Limestone 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 above but if you do not see what you want, please get in touch.