Paving
Indian Sandstone Paving
Indian sandstone in muted buffs and greys is a safe, handsome choice for a Monmouth town house garden, with enough texture to feel traditional.
Monmouth gives us two quite different kinds of paving job. In the town centre, period houses often have small, enclosed gardens where a new patio has to fit neatly between old walls. Out in the countryside around Monmouth, gardens are much bigger, and the paving becomes a terrace, a network of paths and sometimes a long drive. Both sit close to the Wye and the Monnow, so wet ground is never far from our minds.
T J Landscapes lays patios, terraces, paths and driveways in and around Monmouth. Tony and the team will visit, look at the ground and the house, and give you a free quote. Our Monmouth landscaping page covers the rest of the garden, or drop us a line.
From courtyard gardens in town to large rural terraces, here is how each of our six materials suits Monmouth.
Indian sandstone in muted buffs and greys is a safe, handsome choice for a Monmouth town house garden, with enough texture to feel traditional.
Porcelain is useful on damp, low-lying ground near the rivers around Monmouth, where it stays cleaner than most stone.
Natural stone is often the first choice for Monmouth's older properties and farmhouses, where it looks as if it has always been there.
Limestone gives a refined, formal terrace for a larger country house near Monmouth, laid with crisp joints and a sealer.
Granite is hard wearing for long rural paths and yard areas that see boots, barrows and the odd vehicle.
Block paving suits Monmouth front drives and turning areas, and permeable blocks help on plots where surface water is an issue.
Behind many of the older houses in the centre of Monmouth are narrow, walled gardens with limited access and plenty of character. Paving here is about proportion and fit: picking a slab size that suits the space, lining the joints up with doors and walls, and finishing against old stonework without damaging it. We often lay a single material right through, with a border course to give a finished edge.
Much of central Monmouth is a conservation area, and some houses are listed, so check with Monmouthshire County Council before changing anything visible from the street. Our local guide, choosing paving that suits a Monmouth town house, goes through materials, and garden design ideas for Monmouth period properties looks at the garden as a whole.
Low-lying gardens near the rivers can sit on soft, damp ground for much of the winter, and a patio laid on a shallow base there will settle unevenly. We dig down to firm ground, use a geotextile membrane where the soil is soft, and build the sub-base up in compacted layers. Falls are set to take water away from the house towards a drain, border or soakaway that can cope with it.
A patio will not stop a river flooding, and we would never claim it can. What good paving does is shed ordinary rain quickly and recover well if water does come through. Our article on gardens near the Wye and Monnow covers planning for wet ground, and why patios sink, crack or lift explains what goes wrong when the base is skimped.
Town or country, the paving has to suit the house and cope with the ground.
We dig to firm ground and use membranes where needed, so a Monmouth patio near the rivers stays level.
Old walls, steps and thresholds are protected and worked around, and we point you to the council where permission may be needed.
Terraces, paths and hard standings are planned as one network, not added piecemeal.
We will tell you which materials suit your house and ground, and where a simpler option would do the job.
Rural gardens around Monmouth can be large enough that the paving is a small project in its own right. A generous terrace by the house, a path to the vegetable garden, a hard standing for the greenhouse and a route to the field gate all need linking in a way that feels planned. We like to walk the whole garden before drawing up anything, so the paving follows the routes you actually use.
Bigger gardens often need other work alongside the paving: stone walls, new lawns in Monmouth or post and rail fencing. See large rural garden makeovers around Monmouth for more on phasing a big project.
The approach to a house sets the tone, and around Monmouth that might be a short path through a front garden in town or a long gravel drive that has become rutted and weedy. Replacing tired gravel with block paving, or edging a gravel drive properly and adding a paved apron by the house, can make a big difference to how a property looks and how easy it is to keep tidy.
Drives carry far more weight than patios, so they need a deeper dig, a thicker compacted base and strong edge restraints. Where the drive meets a public road, a new or wider dropped kerb needs council approval, and a new front hard surface generally has to be permeable or drain to a planted area to avoid needing planning permission. Our guide on block paving driveways: what to ask before you book goes through the build.
Real reviews from homeowners across Monmouth — 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 Monmouth 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.
Yes, with a deeper, well compacted sub-base, a membrane on soft soil and careful falls. We look at the ground on our visit before recommending a build-up.
Natural stone and Indian sandstone in muted tones usually sit best with older buildings. Our guide on choosing patio slabs compares the options.
Back garden patios usually do not, but conservation areas and listed buildings can bring extra controls, especially at the front. Please check with Monmouthshire County Council first.
The area, the material, how far materials must be moved from the drop-off point, ground conditions, drainage and any walls or steps. We give a free, detailed quote after seeing the site.
Tell us whether you are in town or out in the country around Monmouth, what you would like paved and anything you know about the ground.