Reclaimed Belgian Black – Old Church Stone Floors

Reclaimed Belgian church dalles in deep black limestone, salvaged from historic buildings in Belgium and the Netherlands and prepared in our Dutch workshop for high-end projects worldwide.

Antique black limestone church dalles for design-led projects worldwide

Reclaimed Belgian Basecles – also known as old church dalles, church flagstones or reclaimed Belgian black limestone – are heavy, dark floor slabs salvaged from historic churches, monasteries, castles and manor houses in Belgium and the Netherlands. Their deep charcoal to almost black colour and calm, matt surface make them a favourite among architects and interior designers who are looking for an understated yet powerful stone floor with real history.

From our workshop and warehouses in Made, The Netherlands, De Opkamer supplies these antique church stone floors to architects, interior designers, contractors and private clients across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. With one of the largest collections of reclaimed Belgian church dalles in Europe, we are a trusted source for unique, high-end stone floors.

25+ years of sourcing church floors in Belgium and the Netherlands

For more than 25 years we have been travelling throughout Belgium and the south of the Netherlands in search of old farmhouses, presbyteries, monasteries and churches scheduled for renovation or demolition. When we find original church floors in black limestone, our own team carefully lifts and salvages the slabs on site.

The reclaimed stones are transported to our workshop in Made, where we:

• clean each slab by hand and remove old mortar and residues,
• sort the dalles by size, thickness and colour tone,
• reject damaged pieces so only top-quality stones remain,
• pack the lots in robust, ISPM 15 certified export crates for worldwide shipping.

Because we control the entire process in-house – from sourcing to crating – we can offer consistent batches of reclaimed church stone flooring, ready for installation in high-end residential and hospitality projects.

Basecles, Noir de Mazy and Namur stone – what is the difference?

Many old church floors in Belgium were cut from different types of dense, dark Belgian limestone. In our collection you will mainly find:

• Basecles (Basècles) – historic church and abbey floors made from dark Belgian limestone quarried around the village of Basècles. Often referred to as “old Basecles” by connoisseurs, these slabs have a very dark grey to almost black tone with very few visible fossils and a soft, matt surface.
• Noir de Mazy – a famous Belgian black limestone, sometimes called Belgian black marble. It is known for its deep, nearly pure black colour and extremely fine grain. In flooring it appears as heavy church dalles with a refined, quiet look and minimal veining.
• Namur stone (Namur limestone, Naamse steen) – a dark grey to blue-grey limestone from the Meuse valley around Namur. Compared to Noir de Mazy it is usually slightly lighter and more “stone-like” in appearance, with a subtle structure in the surface, making it ideal for floors that should feel historic but not too formal.

All three are dense, hard limestones that take a beautiful aged patina and are very suitable for heavily used floors in churches, corridors and public buildings. In our reclaimed batches you will see mainly dark grey to almost black slabs with a calm, uniform appearance and almost no distracting fossils or impurities – perfect for serene, monolithic stone floors.

Colour, surface and formats

Reclaimed Basecles and church dalles are characterised by:

• deep dark grey to near-black colour with soft nuances,
• a matt, slightly honed or time-worn surface (not shiny, not polished),
• gently rounded edges from decades of use in church aisles and nave floors,
• various formats, often square or rectangular slabs of approx. 35–45 cm (14–18") with original thicknesses up to 7 cm (3").

In our workshop we can, on request, calibrate these old church dalles to approx. 3 cm (about 1¼"). This makes installation easier on modern substrates and allows the use of underfloor heating while preserving the authentic, aged surface on top.

Overview of our reclaimed church stone collection

Under this category you will find several specific products within our collection of reclaimed Belgian church stone floors, for example:

• Antique church dalles – Noir de Mazy – reclaimed black limestone slabs from historic churches in Belgium, with a deep, nuanced black colour.
• Old black marble floor – Basecles / Noir de Mazy – heavy square slabs in dark Belgian black limestone, ideal for dramatic entrance halls and gallery spaces.
• Reclaimed Belgian bluestone – blue-grey Belgian limestone floors that combine beautifully with the darker church dalles in one project.

Each product page contains details about dimensions, thickness, available surface and the possibility to cut back the original slabs. Because these are reclaimed floors, every lot is unique and stock may be limited.

Typical applications & design styles

Designers and builders around the world use reclaimed Belgian church stone floors in:

• entrance halls, gallery spaces and corridors,
• living rooms, open-plan spaces and kitchens that need a strong architectural base,
• wine cellars, tasting rooms and bars,
• chapels, meditation rooms and private prayer spaces,
• boutique hotels, restaurants and retail flagships with a dark, atmospheric floor.

The deep, almost black tone of Basecles and Noir de Mazy combines beautifully with warm oak, steel-framed doors, plaster walls and antique marble fireplaces. In contemporary architecture these reclaimed slabs create a quiet, monolithic floor that anchors the space.

Underfloor heating and performance

Because Belgian black limestone is dense and strong, reclaimed church dalles are well suited for modern use:

• high compressive strength for heavy foot traffic and public spaces,
• excellent thermal mass, making them ideal for use over underfloor heating,
• suitable for interior floors and, in appropriate build-ups, for covered terraces or transitional spaces.

As with all reclaimed stone, correct installation and a suitable substrate are essential. We are happy to coordinate with your installer or contractor regarding thickness, cutting and technical details.

Global shipping, in-house crating & trade support

De Opkamer regularly ships antique Belgian stone flooring to Europe, the UK, the USA and other regions. We take care of:

• in-house crating and palletising in our own workshop in Made,
• ISPM 15 compliant wooden crates for ocean freight and air freight,
• coordination with international freight forwarders and last-mile delivery,
• export documentation and support with customs formalities where needed.

We work closely with architects, interior designers and builders. For trade clients we can provide detailed photos, batch descriptions, CAD-friendly size information and technical notes to support your design and tender process.

Request a quote or book a visit

Interested in a reclaimed Belgian church stone floor for a project in Europe, the UK or overseas? Contact us for current availability of Basecles, Noir de Mazy and Namur-stone floors, or to schedule a visit to our workshop and warehouses in Made (near Breda, The Netherlands).

We will gladly help you select the right batch of antique church dalles and arrange crating and shipping to your site anywhere in the world.