Limestone Cobbles

To lay your limestone cobbles to create a courtyard, path or driveway, follow our steps:

1. Mark out your area using pegs, spray paint, or another preferred method
2. Dig 230 mm, removing vegetation, topsoil and weeds.
3. Set up string lines to help identify and remove any uneven sections
4. Smooth out the ground, levelling with a rake and compacting with a plate compactor.
5. Mix the mortar using three parts sand, one part cement, and one part water. 
6. Spread it over the sub-base, leaving space for a 15–30mm mortar gap once compacted.
7. Lay your limestone cobble setts 8-15mm apart
8. Use a rubber mallet to gently tap each sett into place to ensure a snug, even fit.
9. After placing the setts, fill the 8–15mm gaps between the sett with a brush-in compound or your grouting method of choice, and compact firmly using a pointing tool.
10. Leave to set for one full day. Be sure to cover the area if rain is forecast, and leave to set for longer than a day before allowing heavier items or vehicles onto the surface.

For more guidance, see our guide to laying cobbles.

Limestone is incredibly strong and durable due to its high density from having been naturally fused together over millions of years. Combined with the thickness of cobble setts, this makes limestone cobbles perfect for a driveway to handle the weight of vehicles and more.

To learn more about choosing the right materials for driveway paving, plus the golden rules you need to follow, see our driveway paving guide.

Clean your limestone cobbles with our natural stone cleaner mixed with water. A stiff-bristled brush will allow you to scrub each cobble clean and get in between the cobbles, too. 

A limestone cobbled driveway may also benefit from being rinsed with a power washer, although this should be done at a low setting. See our paving cleaning guide for more advice on care.

Applying a polymer-modified slurry primer (such as Pro Primer Slurry) to the underside of each cobble is highly recommended before laying limestone cobbles. 

Because limestone is natural stone, a slurry primer ensures a permanent, high-strength bond with the wet mortar bed and acts as a barrier to prevent moisture and minerals from pulling up into the stone, avoiding unsightly surface staining.

For pedestrian patios and pathways, a brush-in polymeric jointing compound like Nexus Fusion works exceptionally well.

For heavily trafficked areas or driveways, use a heavy-duty resin grout (such as Nexus Titan) or a high-flow slurry grout like Ultrascape Flowpoint. These high-strength grouts fill narrow cobble joints easily and withstand the weight and torque of vehicle tyres without cracking.

While both are made from natural stone, cobbles (or setts) are smaller, brick-like blocks used to construct whole driveways, courtyards, and apron features. Edgings (or kerbs) are longer, continuous stone borders designed specifically to retain lawn edges, flowerbeds, or define the outer boundary of a patio.

Pro tip: Limestone cobbles make an excellent border frame around large-format limestone or porcelain paving slabs.

See our guide to garden edgings to learn more.

Limestone cobbles are extremely versatile. They are frequently used as decorative aprons at driveway entrances, step risers, pathway accents, or as border courses around patio perimeter edges to create a distinct, finished look.

Over time, natural sunlight will gently soften the initial depth of colour in darker limestone cobbles (such as Kota Black).

Applying a colour-enhancing sealer (like PRO-410) deepens the natural hues, seals out oil/dirt spills, and prevents UV fading. If you prefer to protect the cobbles without changing their natural matte appearance, opt for an invisible sealer (like PRO-810).

Weed growth typically occurs when seeds settle in surface dirt within the joints, rather than growing from beneath.

To prevent moss and weeds:

1. Use a hard-setting jointing compound rather than loose sand or traditional sand-and-cement pointing.
2. Sweep away organic debris and leaves regularly.
3. Apply a light wash with a pH-neutral natural stone cleaner every spring to keep algae spores at bay.

See our weed removal guide to see how to handle the issue when it occurs.