Crosland Hill yorkstone alternative: Perla and Northcliff Blue
Crosland Hill (sometimes written Crossland Hill) is one of the UK’s reference hard yorkstones: it paved Westminster Hall and half of Sheffield. It is an excellent stone, and precisely for that reason it does not always fit the lead time or budget of a new-build project. For those projects we propose two own-quarry paths: Perla, the cream sandstone we have long proposed as the aesthetic equivalent, and Northcliff Blue, the sandstone that matches hard yorkstone performance in heavy-traffic paving.
Crosland Hill Yorkstone
- Type:
- Carboniferous sandstone (hard yorkstone, Millstone Grit)
- Origin:
- Crosland Hill, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (UK)
- Colour:
- Light buff with natural variation; multi variant with brown and blue-grey tones
Hard yorkstone is a premium, single-origin material in high demand for British heritage and public-realm work. On projects with a fixed site date or a tight budget, fitting its availability and cost is not always possible; that is where a continental equivalent with comparable test data makes sense.
Perla
Fine-grained perlatto cream sandstone from our own quarry. Our sales team has long proposed it when Crosland Hill availability falls short.
View stone
Northcliff Blue
Very high strength sandstone (147 MPa) built for demanding paving: the performance peer of hard yorkstone.
View stoneTechnical comparison
| Property | Crosland Hill | Perla / Northcliff Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Stone type | Carboniferous sandstone (hard yorkstone) | Calcarenite / litharenite |
| Colour | Light buff, multi variants | Perlatto cream / blue-grey |
| Apparent density | 2,406–2,430 kg/m³ (published data) | 2,410 / 2,640 kg/m³ |
| Absorption / open porosity | 2.4–2.9% absorption (published data) | 12.6% open porosity / 0.8% absorption |
| Perla is more porous than hard yorkstone: for demanding exteriors the relevant comparison is Northcliff Blue. | ||
| Compressive strength | 79–132 MPa (range of published data) | 73 / 147 MPa |
| Abrasion | 16.5–19.6 mm (fit for heavy traffic) | 25 / 18.5 mm |
| Supply | Premium single-origin material, in high demand for heritage and public-realm work | Own quarry and factory; quotation, lead time and availability per project with our team |
If your project is heritage work that demands Yorkshire provenance (a replacement in a protected setting, say), the right stone is genuine yorkstone. Our proposal applies when what is sought is the buff aesthetic or hard-yorkstone performance with continental quarry lead times and cost. Aesthetic equivalence is always validated with a physical sample.
When each equivalent makes sense
For masonry, facades, copings, cappings and large formats where the buff/cream aesthetic leads, Perla is the natural equivalent: fine grain, perlatto cream tone and real large-format facade experience (Hotel ME Barcelona, pieces up to 2.40 × 1 m). For heavy-traffic external paving, where hard yorkstone is specified for strength and abrasion, the technical peer is Northcliff Blue: 147 MPa compressive strength (153 MPa after 56 freeze-thaw cycles), 0.8% water absorption and 18.5 mm abrasion, values in the same range as (or better than) the BRE-published Crosland Hill figures.
The test data, in context
Crosland Hill is an exceptional sandstone and its published data shows it: 2.4% absorption and up to 132 MPa compressive strength. Our Perla, as a calcareous sandstone, is more porous (12.6% open porosity) and less strong (73 MPa): its ground is cladding, masonry and large formats, not maximum-demand paving. That is why the paving comparison is made against Northcliff Blue, which does play in that league. The right equivalent depends on the application, and we help you choose it with the test data on the table.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the two stones is right for me?
Rule of thumb: facade, masonry, cappings or large format → Perla. Heavy-traffic external paving → Northcliff Blue. If in doubt, tell us the application and we will confirm with test data.
Can you match yorkstone formats (flags, setts, copings)?
Yes: we cut to size in our own factory, including setts, drip copings and special pieces. Send us your project’s piece list and we will quote it as-is.
What lead time do you work to?
It depends on volume, format and finish; we do not publish generic lead times to avoid promising what is not validated. Send us m², format and target date and we will prepare a real lead time for your project.
Check availability and lead time
Did your project call for Crosland Hill Yorkstone and the lead time or price does not add up? Tell us the m², format and your target date in the message and we will prepare a proposal with real numbers.
- Availability, lead time and price with your measurements
- Physical sample free of charge for professionals
- Technical datasheet with test values