Ancaster stone - Laying a patio in ancaster stone

[TimSummers]

Hi there, I've been trawling around the web for a few days trying to find anything regarding the stone that I'm going to use to replace my old patio (terrible kinda big old council type slab things - I'm sure you know the ones) with lovely freshly blasted and cut Ancaster Stone.

Has anyone had any encounters with this type of stone, and any helpfull hints/tips that they would care to share regarding laying, care, preperation.

I've had my stone cut from the main block into slabs 500x300mm (50mm thick), my new patio is 30 sq meters in total but not just one big square.

I've picked up loads and loads of helpfull hints and tips from this site that I've taken on board and hopefully going to apply when it eventually comes down to it. I've still got quite a bit of prep work to complete first before the first slabs can start getting laid.

Was really just wondering if anyone had worked with Ancaster Stone before. I don't suppose anyone could maybe send a link to some other Ancaster stone work that they have come across so I may actally see what it'll look like once it's finished.

Very many thanks in advance, and hopefully once it's completed then I'll have a cracking looking patio that'll hopefully last for ages.

Tim.

[Tony McC]

As far as I know, Ancaster stone is limited to the area around Lincolnshire where it's quarried. I'm not aware of it being used for paving on any site more than around 30 miles distant from the quarry. This may be because it isn't a particularly hard stone and so it can't compete with the Yorkstones from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire.

I've no pictures of Ancaster Flagstone sin my library, but, if you get your patio done, I'd be delighted to see "after" shots, so I can see for myself how it looks when laid in this manner.

[TimSummers]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't aware that Ancaster Stone wasn't as hard as Yorkstone. Maybe we'll have to move house before I've got to get the damn thing up again as it's starting to fail.

I'd be more than happy to send you some pictures when I've finally got it done, I've finished off all the ground work over the weekend and hopefully I might get the first few stones laid tonight after work.

ps. What do you mean "if you get the patio finished." Have faith my friend, it will get done. You don't think that the missus would let me not finish it esp. after she's been so good regarding limiting her moaning about me leaving a trail of sand/cement and Mud through the house

[Tony McC]

Good luck - keep us informed regarding progress (or lack of it!)