Spain supplies most of the natural roofing slate laid in Britain, and for good reason: the quarries of Galicia, Ourense and La Bana produce a hard, fine-grained slate in consistent thicknesses at a price no other source matches. We supply six Spanish slates, each from a known quarry region.
Langdale is a strong, durable Spanish slate with excellent proven reliability in UK and European markets for nearly 50 years. It naturally splits to give a relatively flat smooth fine grain surface with slight longitudinal texture. Conforms to NF 228 and BS EN 12326 W1 T1 S1 specifications.
Moreton is a strong, durable Spanish slate from the Ourense region of Northwest Spain with nearly 50 years proven reliability. It naturally splits to give a smooth fine grain surface with slight longitudinal texture. May have slight traces of stable mica minerals. Conforms to NF 228 standards.
Gawsworth is a strong, durable Spanish slate from the La Bana region of Northwest Spain with nearly 50 years of excellent proven reliability. Virtually free of mineral inclusions. Smooth fine grain surface with slight longitudinal texture and traditional dressed edge detail.
Capesthorne is a strong, durable Spanish slate with nearly 50 years proven reliability. Extracted from the La Fraguina, Riodolas Carballeda region of Orense in Northwest Spain. Free of reactive mineral inclusions. In high demand for German market noted for its premium selections.
Haddon is a strong, durable Spanish roofing slate with a smooth, fine grain surface and slight longitudinal texture. Quarried in Northwest Spain and supplied in a dark blue grey, it is a dependable choice for reroofing, new build and conservation work across the UK and Ireland.
Haddon Standard is the standard selection of our Haddon Spanish roofing slate. It offers the same smooth, fine grain natural slate with a slightly wider tolerance on thickness and edge dressing, making it a cost effective option for larger roof areas.
Langdale comes out of Galicia with a relatively flat, smooth, fine grain and a slight longitudinal texture, in a blue grey, and has been laid in the UK and Europe for close to fifty years. Moreton is an Ourense slate in dark grey at a consistent 5mm, which may show slight traces of stable mica. Gawsworth is from La Bana, virtually free of mineral inclusions, with a traditional dressed edge and a dark grey to blue black colour.
Capesthorne is extracted at La Fraguina in the Riodolas Carballeda area of Orense, free of reactive mineral inclusions and in strong demand in the German market for its premium selections. Haddon is a dark blue grey Spanish slate with a smooth fine grain, and Haddon Standard is the same slate in the standard selection — a slightly wider tolerance on thickness and edge dressing, which makes it the cost-effective option on a large roof area.
Spanish slate is sold in selections, and the selection matters more than the name on the pallet. Ultra, Best, First and Standard describe how tightly the slate is graded for thickness, flatness and edge dressing. A Best selection costs more per slate and lays faster with less sorting; a Standard selection is cheaper and asks more of the roofer.
Sizes across these six run from 600x300mm down to 300x200mm, with thicknesses from 5mm up to 8/9mm depending on the slate and the selection. Every slate here is tested to BS EN 12326, and Langdale, Moreton, Gawsworth and Capesthorne also conform to the French NF 228 standard. W1 T1 S1 means top-grade results for water absorption, thermal cycling and sulphur dioxide exposure.
For most reroofing work the choice comes down to colour match, size availability and budget rather than performance — all six are hard, dense slates from proven quarries. Where the roof is visible from the street and sits among older Welsh slate, the darker blue-black of Gawsworth or Haddon usually blends more comfortably than a lighter grey.
Send us the roof dimensions, the pitch, the location and a photograph of what is on there now, and we will come back with the slate size, headlap and batten gauge as well as the price.
