This house sits on the valley side in Pontypool, with the mountain rising behind it and rooftops dropping away in front. The garden works in levels, and the job was to pave the ground around the house so every part of it is easy to use.

We laid sandstone in warm buff, rust, brown and grey tones, in a random pattern of mixed rectangles. It runs along one side of the house as a path, opens out into a gravel area at the end, and continues round to a sheltered back yard below a high rendered wall.

Steps, a rail and a raised bed

At the side of the house, a short flight of steps climbs from the paving to the next level. The treads are capped in the same sandstone, with dark grey risers and a galvanised handrail alongside, which matters on a slope where the stone can be wet for much of the year.

In the back yard, a raised bed of grey blocks with sandstone coping sits against the retaining wall and has been filled with fresh soil, ready for planting. It turns a dark corner into somewhere to grow things, and the coping gives a clean edge that matches the paving. Above the wall, a tall feather-edge fence runs along the top of the garden.

Paving a garden on the valley side

Plenty of homes in the valleys around Pontypool are built into the hillside, and that shapes how a patio goes in. The points we pay most attention to are:

  • levels, so each area drains away from the house and the walls instead of towards them;
  • a firm, compacted sub-base, as sloping ground can shift if the base is thin;
  • steps with even rises and a rail wherever the height change calls for one;
  • brushing kiln-dried sand or grout into the joints once the slabs are bedded, as seen in the photos.

Low upkeep from front to back

Between the paving, the gravel and the single raised bed, there is very little here to mow or weed. For more about gardens in the town, see landscaping in Pontypool, and for a patio with a brick wall and gravel above it, see this split-level job. When you are ready, ask us for a free quote.

Questions About This Job

Do garden steps need a handrail?

Not always, but on a slope, or anywhere the steps are used in the wet or by older visitors, a rail makes them much safer. It is easiest to plan it in while the steps are being built.

What is a raised bed made from?

It can be brick, block, sleepers or stone. Here grey blocks were capped with the same sandstone as the paving, so the bed looks part of the patio rather than an add-on.

Is sandstone slippery on a hillside?

Riven sandstone has a textured face that gives decent grip. Like any paving, it can get slippery if moss or algae builds up, so a clean now and then helps, especially in shady corners.

Can you pave a garden that is on several levels?

Yes. Each level gets its own base and falls, joined by steps or walls. Tony and the team can come out and talk it through, with a free quote.