Brickwork in Chepstow
Garden and Boundary Walls
Freestanding walls in Chepstow are often a mix of old stone and later brick. New lengths are built to sit comfortably beside what is already there, in matching stone or a brick that suits the house.
In Chepstow, a garden wall is often holding something up. The town rises steeply from the Wye, and many gardens were only made level by building walls across the slope, sometimes generations ago. Those old stone walls still carry tonnes of soil, and when one starts to bulge it is a problem for the whole garden, not just a boundary.
T J Landscapes repairs old walls and builds new ones in Chepstow, in stone, brick and block. Tony and the team look at what the wall is holding back, how water gets out from behind it and how materials will reach it, then give you a free quote. Read more about our brickwork and garden walls, see our Chepstow landscaping page, or book a visit.
The six kinds of brickwork we do, and how each one fits Chepstow’s slopes and older stone.
Freestanding walls in Chepstow are often a mix of old stone and later brick. New lengths are built to sit comfortably beside what is already there, in matching stone or a brick that suits the house.
Retaining walls are the core of Chepstow brickwork. They turn a slope into terraces, and they need deep footings, free-draining backfill and weep holes, because water behind a wall on a hillside builds up fast.
Steps are part of daily life in a Chepstow garden. We build flights in brick or stone with even risers, landings on longer runs and handrails where they help.
Raised beds suit narrow Chepstow terraces, where they add planting depth without needing more level ground, and a low wall around a small patio makes the most of the flat space you have.
Piers and pillars mark gateways at the top of steep drives and paths in Chepstow, and we build them to take a gate and to stand firm on sloping ground.
Repairs to old stone walls are a big part of our Chepstow work: repointing in lime, rebuilding bulging sections and resetting loose capping stones.
Many Chepstow stone walls have looked a little out of true for decades, and some are perfectly stable that way. What matters is whether the wall is still moving. Signs that it is include fresh cracks, stones dropping out, soil or water seeping through the face after rain, and a bulge that seems bigger than it did last year.
The usual cause is water. Old retaining walls were often built without any drainage behind them, and as the backfill silts up, rain has nowhere to go but through the wall. Roots from shrubs and trees growing along the top can prise the stones apart as well. Our local guide to repairing old stone garden walls in Chepstow sets out what to look for.
Building a new retaining wall in Chepstow starts with digging out the slope and getting down to firm ground for the footing. Behind the wall goes a layer of clean, free-draining stone, with weep holes through the face and often a perforated pipe at the base to carry water safely away. Without that, the wall has to hold back wet soil and water pressure together, which is exactly what pushes old walls over.
Low walls holding a bed or a small change in level are usually straightforward. Taller ones, or walls supporting a path, a drive or a neighbour’s garden, may need a structural engineer’s design, and we will say so plainly. When a retaining wall needs engineering advice explains where the line tends to fall. For lower terraces, terracing with sleepers can be an alternative worth considering.
A retaining wall on a slope carries more than most people realise. We build and repair them with that in mind.
Every retaining wall we build in Chepstow has a way for water to get out, because trapped water is what brings walls down.
Old walls are repointed and rebuilt in lime mortar where that is what they were built with, so the stone can breathe.
If a wall needs an engineer’s design or council consent, we say so before you commit.
On a steep Chepstow plot the steps get used every time you go into the garden, often in the rain. We set out each flight so every riser is the same height and every tread the same depth, because the one odd step is always the one people trip on. Treads get a slight fall so water runs off, and we pick a surface with some grip.
The guides to garden steps in brick and stone and paths and steps for Chepstow’s hilly streets go into the detail. Steps often meet a new patio or a fence line, so see patio paving in Chepstow and fencing in Chepstow too.
Parts of Chepstow, including the older streets around the castle and town centre, are conservation areas, and some houses are listed. Taking down or changing a wall that faces the street may need consent, so check with Monmouthshire County Council first. If a retaining wall also supports a neighbour’s ground, speak to them early; the Party Wall Act can apply to some boundary work.
Access is the other planning point. Stone, sand and cement often go up front steps or down a side path by hand, and old spoil comes out the same way. We check the route at the quote visit so there are no surprises on the day.
Real reviews from homeowners across Chepstow — 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 Chepstow 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.
We reuse the original stone wherever we can, which usually covers most of a rebuild. Where more is needed we look for reclaimed or new stone of a similar colour and size, and match the mortar as well.
The height and length, how much digging the slope needs, the footing depth, drainage, the materials, whether an old wall has to come down first and how far everything is carried. We give free quotes after seeing the garden.
On older Chepstow properties stone usually looks right. Brick or rendered block can suit newer homes. A block wall faced with stone is sometimes a sensible middle way for tall retaining walls.
Usually, yes. We take out the old flight, set new footings and rebuild with even risers, tying the top and bottom neatly into the paths or walls already there.
Tell us what the wall is holding back, roughly how high and long it is, and how we get in. Photos from above and below help.