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Histories of Northamptonshire
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Collyweston Slate

Medieval Medieval to Tudor

Collyweston slate roof tile. Quarried since Roman tiles and used extensively in the early modern period.

Collyweston slate tile with copper pin and wooden peg fixings © NMAG
Collyweston slate tile with copper pin and wooden peg fixings
Collyeston slate roof in village of Collyweston © Sandra Johnson
Collyeston slate roof in village of Collyweston

‘I do not believe that any other roofing material can match the visual attraction of Collyweston slating’ Alan Wilson FRIBA.

Collyweston stone slate roofs are one of the most distinctive and attractive features of the historic towns and villages around the village of Collyweston in the north of the county, which gives its name to the stone from which they are made. They can be found further afield on the roofs of St John’s, Christ’s and King’s College in Cambridge, the Guildhall in London and even on the roof of a mansion known as Old Westbury Gardens in New York, USA.

These distinctive slates have been quarried in the village of Collyweston since Roman times and were used prolifically in the early modern period. It is still mined today using modern technology, previously it was mined by candlelight! Lumps of limestone (logs) are taken out of the ground, immersed in water, then frozen and split along the seam (cliving).

Number 52 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.

2nd Image: photograph by Sandra Johnson, Collyweston Historical and Preservation Society

Collyweston
Contributed by Collyeston Historical and Preservation Society

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