The perennial cheeseboard - you can chalk the names of cheeses next to them for your next dinner party (does anyone ever have dinner parties anymore?). Shopping lists, idea catchers - basically anything that requires writing stuff down with chalk. Also of course, good broken up in the bottom of pots for drainage.

Chalk notice board in the kitchen, or for kids. Or as a cover for drains to them getting bunged up with leaves.

Old slates make brilliant drives and paths go to somewhere like b@q you will be paying a fortune for what you can get for nothing. They act as drainage as well, good for security as walking on them can be heard thus alerting you of visitors around your house.

Forgot to add you need to break them up first!

If they are still intact and in good condition you could give them to a builder who might use them.. or keep them yourself in case some of yours fall off. Also good for stopping your cat/dog from doing doo-doos on your nice and tidy flower bed.

You can use them to mulch plants/ pots too if they are broken up ( put in a bag and then use a hammer - avoids getting splinters in eyes)

Use them as edgings along paths, also to separate herbs in a garden bed. slate is impervious to most things.

Here in New Orleans where we’ve got plenty of old slate around, a lot of artists paint on them. So try your hand at painting, or see if there is a local artist/art school/etc. around that might like to have them.

Pet gravestones (sniff!). And they make the best skimming stones EVER, if you have a pond nearby (since you only find really good natural skimming stones on beaches).

Placemats/coasters on tables.

Flooring (awkward to lay unless they are all uniform thickness).

I recall my dad making some interesting and attractive planters from old roof tiles.

He drilled two holes near the corner on each edge of one and on three edges of four more. (Make sure you drill at a low speed else they’re likely to crack)

He then simply wired the five pieces together (the one drilled on 4 sides on the botom) to make planters.

The rust from the wire he’d used looked quite pretty, rather surprisingly, and the gaps around the edges of the tiles made for excellent drainage.

If you’re adept with a tile cutter or any other way of cutting slate you could make any shape planter you liked.

Also consider painting a nice picture on a piece and adding your house number/name underneath. Varnish then fix to the wall by the front door. So much prettier, cheaper and more personal than a plastic one from B&Q.

You could take them up and reuse them somewhere else, or give them away to someone who really wants to get/use them.

how original Stephanie

Slate wall tiles (kitchen etc), splashbacks are very fashionable just now and really easy to use receycled ones rather than paying a fortune for new ones.