Creating the right colour mortar

[RrogerD]

I live in a 1980s Bovis home constructed of Cotswold stone bricks. I am trying to rebuild a garden wall, built of the same bricks, but am unclear as how to get the right / same mortar colour. It appears that the wall mortar is a more yellow and matches the bricks well yet the house has a slight red tinge to it. I'd be surprised if they bothered with dyes.
I can purchase white cement, grey cement and yellow sand or normal red sand. I plan to use a simple 1:4 mix. I just don't really want to be buying bags just to 'try it out' and then waste it.
Anyone know or have a good idea as to what is generally used for the different results?
I've attached pics to try and show the colours differences. Although they don't really show up too well in the pics.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

All looks pretty normal and unremarkable!

Try 4:1 with red sand and grey cement. Slap it onto a board, smooth it, then rub it with a sponge the next day for some instant weathering - it will be a lot more grey at first, the sponge will take that top layer of cement off just as the weather would do eventually.

No need to sponge your wall when you build it though, just let the weather do it naturally. The sponge is just to find out what a sample will look like in the future.

 

[RrogerD]

All looks pretty normal and unremarkable!

Try 4:1 with red sand and grey cement. Slap it onto a board, smooth it, then rub it with a sponge the next day for some instant weathering - it will be a lot more grey at first, the sponge will take that top layer of cement off just as the weather would do eventually.

No need to sponge your wall when you build it though, just let the weather do it naturally. The sponge is just to find out what a sample will look like in the future.

Thanks for commenting.
So, you think that the main walls pics are simply red sand and grey cement? I was beginning to think so myself too.
The fourth pic, the one with the pillar corner showing, this is the garden wall. Do you think that this could be yellow sand? It doesn't appear to have the red tinge like the others do.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I agree - red sand on all but no.4, which is yellow sand. All grey cement - white cement is very rarely used and costs more, so it's very unlikely to have been used.

Try a yellow, a red and a mix if you like. B&Q sand is normally quite red, although it may vary by area.