hard landscaping Information for Architects and Specifiers
Welsh Slate’s technical team will work with you to bring your landscaping vision into reality through our large range of hard landscaping products.
Paving, monoliths, feature stones, walling and decorative slate chippings can all work together or individually to create stunning landscape designs. Welsh Slate’s Hard Landscaping product range is wonderfully versatile with products such as walling, with a range of finishes, suitable for edging and steps as well as retaining walls.
All applications will naturally weather in the landscape, but the structure is unaffected by moss and lichen growth, so its practical life is measured in centuries rather than years.
Our technical team will help guide you to find the best solutions to any challenges in your hard landscaping design scheme.
ARRANGE A RIBA APPROVED CPD SEMINAR AND/OR A CPD FACTORY TOUR
*Welsh Slate RIBA certified Factory tour and seminar both earn double points towards your CPD time
Working with Architects and Specifiers
- Penrhyn® Slate has been designated as Global Heritage Stone Resource, an indication of Welsh Slate’s importance to building heritage Worldwide
- Welsh Slate implement a fully quality assured production process to deliver the best natural slate available
- Welsh Slate will naturally weather in the landscape, but the structure is unaffected by moss and lichen growth, so its practical life is measured in centuries rather than years.
- Welsh Slate’s Hard Landscaping product range is wonderfully versatile with products such as walling, with a range of finishes, suitable for edging and steps as well as retaining walls.
- Welsh Slate is totally unreactive both acid and alkali so runoff from the stone will have no effect on the pH level in the surrounding soil and this chemical stability of Welsh Slate makes it compatible with all other building materials.
Providing digital, virtual and face-to-face support on everything Welsh Slate
Within this section of our website we have numerous resources to support you in designing and specifying Welsh Slate within your project.
Welsh Slate Hard Landscaping Products on NBS Source
Welsh Slate has partnered with NBS to provide a single source for all product information.
This platform brings together the NBS BIM Library, NBS Plus and Product Selector which means all our products can be specified directly into projects by importing the enhanced product data directly from NBS Source using the NBS Chorus cloud-based specification writing platform.
Below is an overview from NBS Source offering the full Hard Landscaping product range all authored to both CAWS and Uniclass 2015 standards. Simply select the relevant Welsh Slate product(s) and highlight the relevant items to match your product and project requirements.
Latest News and Case Studies
Ffestiniog Quarry
CAMBRIAN RAILWAY BUILDING IN OSWESTRY WIND NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARD
The team undertook vital repairs including replacing the hazardous asbestos tiles. with high-quality 500mm x 300mm Ffestiniog Blue Grey Capital-grade slates.
News
THE NATIONAL GALLERY UNVEILS A NEW ARTWORK HONOURING WELSH SLATE'S CWT-Y-BUGAIL QUARRY
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, said the tablet served as a reminder of the crucial moment "the nation's paintings were secreted in caves in the slate hills of north Wales to preserve them for future generations".
Hard Landscaping
WHAT IS PENRHYN WELSH SLATE? ITS HISTORY— AND WHY IT'S AN EXCEPTIONAL PAVING PRODUCT
From Paving Site’s perspective, Penrhyn Welsh Slate paving offers unique advantages over imported slates — especially those from China or Brazil, which often contain high levels of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃).
News
CAMBRIAN RAILWAY BUILDING IN OSWESTRY SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARD
The restoration was led by skilled craftsmen from local specialists Phillips and Curry Ltd and included the careful removal of hazardous asbestos tiles. These were replaced with high-quality 500mm x 300mm Ffestiniog Blue Grey Capital-grade slates supplied
News
WELSH SLATE HELPS A STATION BUILDING WHOSE LIFE WAS ON THE LINE
Some 16,000 of the leading UK manufacturer’s 500mm x 300mm Ffestiniog Blue Grey Capital-grade slates now adorn the roof of the historic Grade II listed Cambrian Railways Building in the market town of Oswestry on the Shropshire/Welsh border
News
FOUR EASY WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR GARDEN – INSPIRED BY AWARD WINNING 2025 RHS PROJECT
A landscaper, who has recently taken part in constructing a multi-award winning garden at the RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse has predicted the garden trends set to take off following this summer’s events season – which include a 1970s throwback.
Hard Landscaping
LEADING LANDSCAPER SAYS 2025 IS YEAR OF THE ACCESSIBLE GARDEN
The team used products from essential materials provider Breedon, including Welsh Slate hard landscaping material from the famous Penrhyn Quarry, prized for its tactile qualities and durability, and Breedon Golden Amber Gravel
News
BREEDON DONATES FLAGSHIP PRODUCTS TO RHS SENSORY GARDEN IN RNIB COLLABORATION
Welsh Slate hard landscaping materials from Penrhyn Quarry selected for their accessibility and sensory qualities and Breedon Golden Amber Gravel - the only self-binding gravel of its kind to hold a Royal Warrant chosen for RHS Wentworth garden
News
A NEW ROOF AT ROSSLYN
Rosslyn Castle, jointly with Rosslyn Chapel, is one of the most significant heritage assets in Midlothian and for the first time in over 350 years the castle has a new permanent roof of Penrhyn roofing slate over formerly ruinous areas
Roofing
HISTORIC PIER GETS A NEW CROWN THANKS TO WELSH SLATE
An Edwardian pier with Royal connections is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks in part to Welsh Slate. Some 800m2 of Welsh Slate’s Penrhyn roofing slates were specified for the reroof of the Royal Terrace Pier in Kent
Asphalt
WELSH SLATE AND BREEDON STOP STORM BERT RAINING ON ALDI'S PARADE
Aggregates from Welsh Slate and Breedon, and a workforce from Breedon’s Surfacing Solutions, join forces for Aldi.
News
PRIVATE SCHOOL REROOFED IN WELSH SLATE WINS ROOFING COMPANY AN A+ IN NATIONAL AWARDS
Their year-long work at the independent day school in Cardiff, involved more than 1,000m2 of Welsh Slate’s Penrhyn Heather Blue County-grade slates