Turf Laying in Chepstow
New Lawns on Prepared Ground
A new lawn in Chepstow usually starts with shaping the ground, so the turf goes onto a surface that is either flat or at a gentle, even fall it can hold.
Gravity is the main opponent on a Chepstow lawn. The town climbs steeply up from the Wye, and plenty of back gardens rise or fall sharply behind the house. Turf laid on a steep face tends to slide after heavy rain, dries out at the top of the bank and stays soggy at the bottom, and it is a chore to mow. Most of our lawn work here is really about taming the slope.
Tony and the team carry out turf laying for homes all over Chepstow, from period houses near the old centre to newer properties on the edge of town. We will come and walk the garden with you, talk through whether to level, terrace or work with the slope, and give a free quote. See our Chepstow landscaping page for the wider picture, or get in touch with a few photos taken from the bottom of the garden looking up.
The same six lawn jobs we do everywhere, and how each tends to look on Chepstow's steep and stony plots.
A new lawn in Chepstow usually starts with shaping the ground, so the turf goes onto a surface that is either flat or at a gentle, even fall it can hold.
Where an old Chepstow lawn has crept downhill, gone lumpy or thinned to moss on the shaded side, lifting and relaying it lets us correct the gradient at the same time.
Soil on the steeper Chepstow plots is often thin and stony, so we bring in screened topsoil to build up a proper root zone and even out the levels.
This is the heart of lawn work in Chepstow: cutting a bank into two or three level lawns held by walls or timber sleepers, joined by steps.
Water running off higher ground tends to collect at the foot of Chepstow gardens, so a drain or gravel soakaway along the bottom edge is often part of the plan.
On a slope too steep or awkward for a mower, artificial grass fixed firmly over a compacted base is an option for a small Chepstow bank that still needs to look green.
There are three ways to put a lawn on a hillside. A gentle slope can simply be smoothed and turfed. A moderate one can often be regraded to a flatter fall by moving soil from the top to the bottom. A steep bank usually works best as a series of flat lawns, each held by a retaining wall or sleepers, with steps between.
Terracing is the biggest job but gives you flat grass you can actually sit on, put a table on and mow in straight lines. It is also where Chepstow's lawn work overlaps with its stonework. If the terrace walls are tall or holding a lot of soil, they need proper design, and our advice on when a retaining wall needs engineering advice is worth reading first.
For more on shaping the hill, see terracing with sleepers and landscaping a steep Chepstow garden.
Where a slope is kept, the turf needs a bit of extra help to stay put while it roots. We lay rolls across the slope rather than up and down it, stagger the joins, and on steeper faces pin each roll with wooden or biodegradable pegs so a downpour cannot shift it.
Watering is different too. The top of the bank dries out first and the bottom stays wet, so little and often at the top and less at the foot works better than one long soak everywhere. Our local guide to turfing a sloping Chepstow lawn without it slipping goes into more detail.
Hillside lawns need a plan for the slope, the soil and the water. We sort all three.
We work on hillside gardens across South Wales, so shaping banks, building terraces and pegging turf are everyday tasks.
Retaining walls, sleepers, steps and turf come from the same team, which keeps levels and edges tidy.
Steps, narrow lanes and barrow runs are taken into account at the quote, so there are no surprises later.
Read what people across the area say about us on our reviews page, as well as Google and Checkatrade.
Many Chepstow streets are steep and narrow, and plenty of back gardens are reached by steps rather than a flat path. Topsoil and turf therefore often travel by barrow or by hand, a little at a time, and we allow for that when we price. It is not a reason to put off the job, just something to plan around.
Old stone boundary walls are a feature of many gardens in the town, and we take care not to undermine them when regrading. If one needs attention, repairing old stone garden walls in Chepstow explains the choices. A new lawn often goes in alongside new fencing in Chepstow or a deck built out over the slope, which can make an awkward garden far more usable.
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.
On a moderate slope, yes, laid across the gradient and pegged until it roots. On a very steep bank we usually suggest terracing, because the lawn will be easier to mow and far less likely to dry out or slip.
Rain runs through and over the soil downhill and collects at the lowest point. A gravel soakaway or land drain along the foot of the slope often solves it, along with better soil on the bank above.
Most garden terracing does not, but tall retaining walls, big changes in ground level or work near a listed building or in a conservation area may. Please check with Monmouthshire County Council before larger projects.
The size, the steepness, whether walls or sleepers are needed, how much topsoil has to come in, drainage, and how far everything has to be carried. See preparing ground for turf, then ask us for a free quote.
Mow across the slope where it is safe, keep the blades a little higher on the bank so the grass shades its own roots, and feed in spring and autumn. Our guides on looking after a lawn through the year and turf or seed cover the rest, including patching bare spots.
Tell us roughly how steep the garden is, how big an area you want turfed and how we would get to it from the road.