Natural Stone Beams for Fireplaces | Carl Finnell, Yorkshire
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Stoves & fires

Wood burning stovesFire FX, ACR and Heta, supplied and fitted Electric firesBritish Fires and Fire FX, no flue needed

Fireplaces & chambers

Fireplace fittingThe full fireplace service Timber fireplacesOak and painted, made to measure Stone fireplacesLimestone, marble and porcelain Bespoke fireplacesDesigned around one room, fitted prices published HearthsStone, granite, tiled and porcelain Stove chambersBrick and other chamber types BeamsOak, stone and non-combustible

Fitting & care

Flues & chimney linersLiners and twin-wall flues ServicingStove servicing and sweeping InstallationHow a HETAS fit works
Ready when you are Book a free home survey Samples, honest advice and one clear quote. Get started
Aged gritstone beam fireplace with a matching five-piece gritstone hearth and wood burning stove Save £462offer

Carl Finnell · Stone beams

Natural stone beams

Was £4,620 £4,158 gritstone package, fitted Save £462

A natural stone beam, made for us, for a heavier and more solid character above the opening. A striking alternative to timber or the Inglebeam that suits both period and contemporary rooms.

  • ACR Woodpecker 5kw wood-burning stove, supplied and fitted
  • Aged gritstone beam with a matching five-piece hearth
  • Fully fitted and HETAS certified, with a CO detector
Request a free home survey Call 07868 267002

Was £4,620, so you save £462. Subject to a free home survey and T&Cs. Chimney sweep is paid direct to the sweep.

  • HETAS registered
  • Free home survey
  • No-obligation quote
What's included in the package
  • ACR Woodpecker 5kw wood-burning stove
  • Flue pipe, chimney closure kit and adaptors
  • Aged five-piece gritstone hearth and chamber base (950mm x 400mm)
  • Paintable Gyproc Glasroc firecase chamber
  • Aged gritstone beam
  • Made-to-measure steel bracket with thunder bolts
  • Up to 10m of 316 triple-lock stainless steel BRITISH chimney liner
  • Anti-downdraught cowl
  • Chimney sweep (paid direct to sweep)
  • Building and installation materials
  • Installation including HETAS certificate and CO detector

Why a stone beam

Solid stone, made practical

Stone beams

Solid character above the fire

Our natural stone beams are handcrafted from solid blocks of stone, carefully hollowed out on the reverse to reduce their overall weight without compromising their impressive appearance or structural integrity. This allows the beam to keep the substantial look of solid stone while making installation both safer and more practical.

To ensure a secure installation, each beam is mounted onto a heavy-duty concealed steel bracket, firmly fixed into the masonry chimney breast. Once installed, the bracket provides exceptional support while remaining completely hidden from view, so the beam appears as though it is naturally built into the fireplace.

With their rugged texture, natural colour variation and timeless character, stone beams are the perfect choice for an authentic inglenook fireplace or a striking architectural feature in a traditional or country-style home.

Please note: due to their weight, natural stone beams can only be installed onto a sound solid masonry chimney breast or other suitable structural masonry. They are not suitable for stud walls or lightweight partition walls unless appropriate structural support has been built in.

Lighter alternative

Porcelain beams

We also offer a range of lightweight stone-effect porcelain beams, giving the appearance of natural stone without the weight or installation restrictions of solid masonry. Made from large-format porcelain, they faithfully replicate the texture, colour and character of natural stone with exceptional durability and easy installation. They suit both traditional and contemporary fireplaces and, being lighter, work in a wider variety of installations where a solid stone beam may not be practical.

For a lighter stone-effect finish around the whole opening, we can also talk through porcelain hearths and beams as part of the home survey.

The range

Gritstone beams

Handcrafted gritstone beams arriving at the Carl Finnell workshop
Gritstone beams arriving at our workshop
Close detail of natural gritstone beam colour and character
Natural colour and character

The photographs show handcrafted gritstone beams arriving at our workshop, ready to be prepared and installed in our clients' homes. Each beam is individually selected and made from natural stone, so every piece has its own character, texture and colour variation. Before installation, every beam is carefully inspected and prepared by our team to our exacting standards. Whether it is a traditional inglenook or a bespoke contemporary feature, these substantial gritstone beams give a timeless focal point that will last for generations.

Made to match

Traditional meets contemporary

This bespoke installation pairs a handcrafted gritstone beam with a matching five-piece gritstone hearth. Rather than combining a new gritstone beam with a reclaimed stone hearth, we wanted both elements to complement each other in colour and character. Our stonemason hand-finished and aged the beam and hearth using traditional techniques, recreating the look of naturally weathered reclaimed stone while keeping the strength and consistency of newly quarried gritstone. The result has all the charm and authenticity of a reclaimed installation, with the precision and durability of bespoke craftsmanship, ideal for anyone who wants the character of a period fireplace without the inconsistencies of reclaimed materials.

A handcrafted gritstone beam paired with a matching five-piece gritstone hearth, hand-finished and aged to the character of reclaimed stone, then fully fitted around an ACR Woodpecker 5kw stove. This exact fireplace is available as a complete, fully fitted package. See everything that is included and the full price on our Aged Gritstone Beam Fireplace offer.

Pictured: aged gritstone beam with a matching five-piece gritstone hearth.

Bespoke by nature

A stone beam for your home

We don't offer a standard range of natural stone beams, because each one is individually selected and handcrafted to suit its fireplace. Given the cost of sourcing and making natural stone, they are chosen less often than traditional oak beams. But for the right property a natural stone beam creates a truly outstanding focal point, with a character, authenticity and timeless appeal that is hard to match in any other material.

We believe every fireplace should be designed around your home rather than picked from a catalogue. We will guide you through the options and help you choose the right beam, hearth, chamber and stove for your property's architecture, your interior and your budget, whether you are restoring a period cottage, renovating a farmhouse or building a contemporary fireplace in natural materials.

Uprights and headers

Stone fireplace features

Aged sandstone beam above stone herringbone fireplace tiles
Aged sandstone beam with stone herringbone tiles
Stone header on two stone uprights with a timber fireplace surround
Stone header on two stone uprights with a timber surround

This bespoke installation uses two natural stone uprights supporting a matching stone header to form a traditional stove chamber opening, finished with a handcrafted timber surround that brings together the warmth of oak and the character of solid stone. Although the stone components are heavy, this construction is practical: the header is carried by the two uprights rather than relying solely on fixings in the chimney breast, giving excellent stability and the look of a traditional stone inglenook.

Whether you are restoring a period property or creating a feature in a contemporary home, we can design and make bespoke stone fireplace features to your exact requirements, in traditional hand-finished rustic stone or smooth honed contemporary limestone.

Traditional skills

Punch-faced stone

Some of our stone fireplaces are hand-finished with a traditional punch-faced finish, a highly skilled stonemasonry technique that creates a textured surface full of depth and authenticity. A consistent punch-faced finish takes real experience and patience, as each mark is made by hand to produce a natural, balanced result that never looks repetitive or machine-made. It gives the timeless charm of traditional stonework, and it suits period properties, country homes and inglenook fireplaces particularly well.

The stone header can instead be built directly into the chimney breast, without the upright columns, so it appears to float above the stove chamber while keeping the character of natural stone. Every stone fireplace we make is completely bespoke.

Structural stone

Stone support

This installation uses an original traditional stone beam supported by substantial vertical stone columns that form part of the structural fireplace and carry the weight of the chimney breast above. This classic method has been used for centuries and gives the impressive look of a genuine stone inglenook. We paired it with a large freestanding wood-burning stove and a heat recovery system to move warm air through the property, combining handcrafted natural stone and traditional construction with modern heating performance.

Renovation

Keeping the original stone

For this renovation we removed the existing damaged concrete fireplace base and replaced it with a bespoke antique leather matt black granite hearth, precision cut to complement the original natural stone beam and its supporting columns. Keeping the original features preserved the character of the property, while the new hearth gave a durable and elegant foundation. A modern high-efficiency wood-burning stove turned the old open fireplace into an efficient heater, so this period home stays warm and welcoming through the winter.

HETAS registered installer

HETAS Registration Number 2087

HETAS registered

Installed with care, certified with confidence

Carl self-certifies every installation and notifies Building Control on your behalf, so the work is signed off properly and your certificate of compliance is issued for your records.

Verify Carl's HETAS registration

Related fireplace choices

Finish the whole opening

Build a chamber

Choose the chamber finish around the stove and hearth.

Build a chamber →

Oak beams

Finish the opening with solid European oak, handmade in North Yorkshire.

See the oak beams →

Hearths

Choose the stone, granite, tiled or reclaimed hearth beneath the fire.

Explore hearths →

Common questions

Stone beams, answered plainly

Can a stone beam sit close to a wood burning stove?

Stone is naturally non-combustible, which makes a stone beam a strong choice where the beam sits near the heat. Every stove still has its own stated clearances, so we confirm the exact position against the manufacturer instructions on the home survey.

Are stone beams very heavy? Does the wall need special support?

They are heavy, and that is part of the appeal, but it also means the fixing has to be right. We assess the wall and the opening on the survey and build in the support the beam needs, so it sits solid, level and permanent. This is not a beam to fit on a couple of brackets.

What finishes and profiles do stone beams come in?

Each beam is made for us to suit the opening, so the length, depth and profile are yours to choose, from a clean, crisp rectangle for a contemporary chamber to a softer, more rustic dressing for a period room. We bring samples to the survey so you can see the stone against your own walls.

Can you supply a stone beam without fitting it?

We would rather not, and it is for your benefit: the weight makes handling and fixing a two-person, know-what-you-are-doing job. Supplied and fitted, the beam is our responsibility from the eye measurement to the final level check.

Book your free home survey

Tell us where you are and what you are thinking

Send a few details and we will call to arrange a visit, bring samples and give you a proper quote. No pressure and no obligation.

HETAS-registered installs. We cover Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby, York, Ripon, Malton, Thirsk and Scarborough.

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