Red St Bees

Red St Bees

St Bees is a dark red sandstone of Permo-Triassic age, which forms the sea cliffs of St Bees Head near Whitehaven in Cumbria. From the Birkhams Quarry in Whitehaven, this distinctive close bedded and fine grained sandstone has proved to be a popular choice of building stone for centuries, both in the UK and USA. St Bees was used as ballast on ships to the US and then as a Brownstone substitute for building in the US and Canada.

In the UK St Bees has been used from Scotland to the South of England. Its physical performance results in a stone which is extremely durable and versatile for projects ranging from traditional walling through to large scale specification and restoration.

Physical performance of Red St Bees
Geological type Permo Triassic  
Colour/texture Dark red / fine to medium grained  
Maximum size Please consult  
Petrographic description New red sandstone of Triassic age BSEN 12407:2007
Apparent density 2062 Kgm -3 BSEN 1936 : 2006
Open Porosity 21.81% BSEN 1936: 2006
Water absorption 6.4% (by wt) BSEN 13755:2002
Flexural strength 5.4 MPa BSEN 13161:2001
Frost resistance 6.56 MPa BSEN 12371:2001
Compressive strength 53.26 MPa BSEN 1926:2006
56.32 MPa BSEN 772-1:2000
Breaking Load at Dowel Hole 1924 N BSEN 13364:2002
Water Absorption by Capillarity 75.76 g/m2/s BSEN 1925:1999

NOTE: This data should only be used as an indication of the future performance of the stone. Test results may not be representative of the whole quarry. The information given is for guidance only and is subject to alteration without notice. We recommend that customers contact Stancliffe Stone to ensure that the details are currently valid. Stone being a natural product may vary significantly in colour and texture within the same range of stone. The stone image on this page is only as accurate as the screen/print out device allows. It is strongly recommended that stone samples are requested to check colour and texture prior to ordering.