Stone Type: Horsham Stone

Horsham Stone gets its name from its locality, being quarried on the outskirts of Horsham. A type of sandstone, it can feature rootlet traces, having been formed from layers of clay soil. Coming in a range of colours through honey-beige to golden brown, one of Horsham Stone’s most distinctive features is its riven face which gives each piece a unique look and rugged appearance.
Now extremely scarce in memorial-grade size, we will try our best to source a suitable piece for you upon request.

Horsham Stone Information Card

Stone Type: Sandstone

Colour Range: Honey-beige to golden brown

Finish Options: As quarried

Durability Level: Medium

Porosity: High (poor water resistance)

Weather Resistance: Medium (frost resistant but porous)

Maintenance Needs: High (regular professional clean to maintain appearance, avoid impact damage)

Longevity: Weathers over time

Example of Horsham Stone

Why consider Horsham stone?

Each piece of Horsham Stone is truly one of a kind. It can be shaped into a conventional headstone, but is often left in a more ‘boulder-type’ shape to fully show off its distinctive characteristics. It is ideal for anyone who wants a memorial full of local character or who wants to select a piece with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

Horsham Stone weathers over time and its porous nature means it will develop algae or moss and so require regular, professional cleaning. However, a feature of the stone is that this weathering tends to be more permanent and it is unlikely that any cleaning will ever restore it to its initial colour, instead the changes that take place over time should be acknowledged as part of its character.

The riven face of the stone means that it cannot be sandblasted. Carving by hand enables our skilled team to make the most use of the varying depth and structures of the riven face, working with the stone’s unique characteristics to inscribe the lettering and ornaments to show both to their best advantages. We also recommend inscriptions are left unpainted as the uneven surfaces can lead to undesirable variations in finish. This does ensure that Horsham Stone memorials are accepted in both churchyards and cemeteries.

Pros

Local material sourced within West Sussex

Personal selection– we will try to source a piece suited to your requirements

Unique appearance– no two memorials will ever look the same

Allows for natural shapes due to ‘boulder-like’ appearance

Shows craftsmanship of handcut lettering and ornaments

Cons

Appearance is subject to variation due to naturally occurring riven finish

Growth of algae and moss due to porous nature

Weathering leads to change of shape and legibility in the long term

Has to be handcarved

Painting not recommended due to variable depth of inscriptions

Relatively scarce– it can be hard to find pieces of both a suitable size and quality