Lepine – Fine Grained French Limestone

Lepine is a pale French limestone with a very fine grain. It is a total dream to carve and very popular with architectural masons and sculptors.

Many artists and stone-masons have come to me over the years to try this beautiful French limestone and now they prefer it over any other. The fine grain and high quality of Lepine allows for carving very intricate work and smooth, fine lines.

Lepine is also a very close match in colour, texture and geology for Cotswold Limestone. This makes it very popular for restoration projects in the area and for new build projects in keeping with the local aesthetic.

Gloucester Cathedral was built using local Cotswold Limestone, but the quarry which provided this stone has been closed for many decades.

After extensive research, English Heritage agreed to use our French limestone Lepine – instead of the original Painswick Limestone – for the restoration of the Cathedral.

Specifications:

Porosity: 22.1%
Compressive Strength: 33.1 MPa
Abrasive Resistance: 36mm
Frost Resistance: 138 cycles
Density: 2080kg/m3
Breaking Strength: 5.5 MPa