A Yorkie Flint Stone in Your Garden

By Ben Parrot – Landscape Gardener & Amateur Geologist

Classification:

Stone landscaping material and construction aggregate

Geological name(s):

Calcareous Flint

Other Name(s):

Yorkshire Cream, Yorkshire flint, Yorkshire stones, Yorkshire aggregates, cream garden stones, york cream gravel, Cotters gold gravel, beige gravel

Overview

Welcome to the only encyclopaedia for decorative aggregates and landscaping materials. Yorkshire cream gravel, also referred to as Cotters gold gravel, are cream decorative stones recognised as an economical and hard-wearing decorative aggregate. Yorkshire gold gravel is renowned for the unique colour variations and pale hues that help make it a popular choice for outdoor landscaping project designs.

This comprehensive encyclopaedia listing about Yorkshire cream gravel, a hardscaping and construction aggregate. It details the product’s specifications, accompanied by photographs, and outlines its benefits, applications, and incompatibilities as a landscaping material. Additionally, this entry serves as a gateway to a wealth of DIY resources, with a list of comparable alternatives, articles offering design inspiration and fundamental principles, and a collection of straightforward, step-by-step instructions for constructing your own hardscaping features.

Specifications

Yorkshire cream gravel specs — Yorkshire Cream Gravel specs | Outdoor Aggregates

Size Range

20mm Yorkshire cream gravel, Yorkshire Cream Gravel 20mm

Fall Safety

Unsuitable for play surfaces

Price

Mid

Durability

High

Fish Friendly

Yes

Eco-friendly

Yes

Degradability

Non-degradable

Neutral

DIY-Friendly

Yes

Benefits

Decorative aggregates like Yorkshire cream gravel are excellent for decorative purposes, creating eye-catching contrasts and textures for gardens and landscapes. They offer practical benefits like moisture retention, weed suppression, and improved drainage. Their diverse colours and textures add a natural, elegant touch to any space.

Yorkshire cream gravel creates a great, contemporary, and bright look with a light mixture of pale cream, golden browns, light grey, and a hint of yellow, bringing a soft, natural look to gardens and paths. Its angular shape provides excellent drainage and stays in place, making it ideal for driveways and pathways. Its neutral colour palette complements a wide range of design styles, from rustic to contemporary.

Inhibits weeds
Improves drainage
Hard-wearing
Eco-friendly, sustainable

Low-maintenance
Moisture retention
Versatile all-rounder
pH neutral

Fast space transfoming
Safe for aquatic life
Root protection
Easy to lay

Applications

Yorkshire cream gravel is versatile, suitable for pathways, driveways, garden borders, and as a top dressing for planters. Its light colour brightens shaded areas and contrasts beautifully with dark or green foliage. It is suitable for aquatic life, making it useful in aquascaping, aquariums and water features with fish, such as ponds.

In the following section, we list many common Yorkshire cream gravel uses, although it is not exhaustive. Wherever there is a hyperlink beside an item, an article from Outdoor Aggregates about the topic is available.

Inspiration and Informational Articles

DIY-Friendly How-To Guides

Need to work out how many stone chippings your project needs? Try our free gravel calculator.

Other Applications

Some other excellent applications for Yorkshire cream gravel include:

Base for terrace, patios or outdoor seating areas
Sub-base layers

Yorkshire flint under garden leaves. Jpg

Unsuitable For

The following list represents the kinds of applications that Yorkshire cream gravel are not suitable for:

1Areas with fine plantings: If you have creepers or low-growing plants in your garden gravel can make it harder for these plants to thrive, as it may interfere with their root systems as they try to grow.
2Play surfaces
3Erosion control: On steep slopes or areas with significant inclines, the loose nature of the gravel can make it prone to movement which can be problematic on slopes.

Maintenance

Yorkshire cream gravel are generally low maintenance, especially when a heavy duty membrane is installed underneath to suppress weeds, with most work limited to raking and the occasional removal of debris. Occasional power washing is advisable to maintain the original colour and prevent algae or moss buildup. Natural quarry materials also may have dust, which should be hosed off with water at the time of installation.

For areas with heavy footfall, such as paths or footpaths, replenishment of gravel may be required over time to maintain depth and coverage. For more on how to clean gravel, read our article: how to clean garden stones.

Purchasing Tips

When purchasing Yorkshire cream gravel, consider the size and quantity necessary for your project. Where available, it is cost-effective to request a sample to assess the stone’s colour and quality against your design requirements. Also, consider the size you’ll need; for instance, Yorkshire cream gravel 20mm is typically used for driveways, while smaller 10mm Yorkshire cream gravel is better suited to footpaths.

Using our gravel calculator to get an unbiased estimate for your project needs is one of the best and easiest ways to get the right amount without the risk of shortfalls or over-spending – all you need is a few measurements of the space. Ordering in bulk bag or loose load form is often more cost-effective than smaller quantities. Also, always ensure you consider the delivery aspects, especially the vehicle access to the site.

FAQs

Can you use Cotswold stone on driveways?

With its angular shape and durability, Cotswold stone is suitable for driveways.

What size are Cotswold chippings?

Cotswold chippings typically range from 10-20mm (0.4-0.8 inches).

What stone is Cotswold buff?

Cotswold Buff is a type of limestone with a warm, buff-yellow hue.

There are many wonderful types of gravel and aggregates available for your project needs. Check them out!