A lot of Caerphilly homes were built with the front garden left open: a strip of lawn, a drive and nothing much to say where one house ends and the next begins. On the older interwar and post-war semis, the brick walls that were put up decades ago are now cracked, patched or missing a few coping bricks. Either way, the front of the house is usually where people in Caerphilly first ask us about brickwork.
Tony and the team build brickwork and garden walls across Caerphilly and the estates around it: low front walls, piers for a gate or a drive, raised planters, boundary walls at the back and the odd flight of steps where a plot slopes. The first visit and the quote cost nothing, so send us a few details. For everything else we do in town, see our Caerphilly landscaping page.
Our six kinds of garden brickwork, and where each one tends to fit around Caerphilly.
A low wall along the front of a Caerphilly semi or estate house gives an open-plan garden a clear edge, keeps children and footballs off the drive next door, and can be matched to the brick of the house.
Most Caerphilly gardens are gentle rather than steep, so retaining walls here tend to be modest: squaring off a bank at the back of a newer plot or holding up a raised lawn beside a drive.
Where a Caerphilly front garden sits above the pavement, a short flight of brick steps with even risers is often safer and tidier than a sloping path that turns slippery in winter.
Brick planters are a favourite on Caerphilly estates, where the topsoil left at handover can be thin; a planter gives shrubs a proper depth of soil and makes a handy seat beside a patio.
Piers either side of a drive or gateway are the finishing touch many Caerphilly homeowners want, and they need a solid footing if they are going to carry a gate for years.
On the older semis around Caerphilly we repoint, replace spalled bricks and rebuild front walls that have been clipped by cars or lifted by roots from a hedge or tree.
The simplest brickwork we build in Caerphilly is also one of the most popular: a wall two or three courses high along the front boundary, with a coping on top and a gap for the path or the drive. It stops the lawn being cut across, makes the front look deliberate rather than leftover, and gives you a line to plant against.
Getting the look right is mostly about matching. Many Caerphilly houses are built in a particular red or buff brick, and a wall in a clashing colour stands out for all the wrong reasons. We bring samples to the visit and talk through coping styles, and our guide on choosing bricks and coping for a garden wall sets out the options before you decide.
A wall is only as good as the ground under it, and on a lot of newer estates that ground is not what it looks like. Under a thin layer of topsoil there can be compacted subsoil, builders' leftovers or heavy clay that holds water. We dig the footing trench until we reach something firm, rather than stopping at a set depth, and widen it if the ground is soft.
Clay is worth a special mention because it swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and a shallow footing on clay will move with it. Our local guide to what lies under a new-build garden in Caerphilly covers this in more detail, and garden wall foundations explains why the part you never see decides how long a wall lasts.
Neat walls on firm ground, matched to the house and planned with the rest of the garden.
We bring brick and coping samples so a new Caerphilly wall sits well beside the house it belongs to.
On newer estates we dig until the ground is sound, not to a fixed depth, because made-up ground moves.
Walls, piers, paving and planting are worked out together, so the drive, path and wall meet cleanly.
We visit, measure and explain what the job involves, with nothing to pay for the visit. See our reviews.
On estates where every garden was fenced at the same time, the panels tend to fail at the same time too. Some Caerphilly homeowners take that as the moment to put in something more permanent: a brick wall to waist height with fence panels or trellis above, or a full-height wall in a corner that needs privacy.
A mix of brick and timber can work very well, and we also fit the timber part, so our fencing in Caerphilly and the brickwork can be planned as one job. On a shared boundary it is worth agreeing the plan with your neighbour first, and it is sensible to check height rules with Caerphilly County Borough Council before building a tall wall beside a road or footpath.
Many people move to Caerphilly for an easy commute into Cardiff, and they want a garden that looks after itself on weekdays. Raised brick beds help with that: fewer weeds, no bending to ground level, and a clear division between the play lawn and the planting. A planter wall at seat height around a patio does two jobs in one.
We build every planter with drainage at the base so water does not sit against the brick, and line the inside faces where it helps. Read building brick raised beds and planters for the details, and our local guide to garden walls and planters for Caerphilly homes for ideas that suit the town's semis.
Real reviews from homeowners across Caerphilly — rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 69 reviews and 10/10 on Checkatrade.
“Had my patio done by the company and could not be happier. Top quality work done and quickly too.”
“I was pleased to find Tony and his lads were absolutely great! Tony responded quickly & was very polite.”
“We were delighted with the work and materials, which were of very high quality. Tony and team helped us.”
Local and practical guides to help you plan the work.
One team for the whole garden, so a single visit can price everything you have in mind.
We cover Caerphilly and the towns around it. Choose another area below.
T J Landscapes South Wales
24 Conway Road, Pontypool
Torfaen, NP4 6HL
We cover homes right across South Wales, from Cardiff and the coast up to the valleys and the Brecon Beacons.
Usually closely, yes. We look at the colour, texture and size of the existing brick and bring samples to compare. On older semis a reclaimed brick can sometimes be the closest match.
Many low front walls do not need planning permission, but height limits apply next to a road or footpath, and some estates have covenants about open-plan fronts. We are not planners or solicitors, so check with the council and your deeds before building; we can help you work out what to ask.
The length and height, the depth of footing the ground needs, the brick and coping you choose, any piers, how much soil and old wall has to go, and how easy it is to get materials to the spot. We give free quotes, so get in touch.
Often, yes, but a pier that carries a gate needs its own footing and should be bonded or tied into the wall properly. We check the existing wall first, because hanging a heavy gate from a weak end is asking for trouble.
Tell us whether it is a front wall, piers, planters or a repair, roughly how long it is, and your part of Caerphilly, and we will arrange a free visit.
