Block paving driveway and raised planters in Earley
A cracked, sloping side drive in Earley, rebuilt as a level charcoal block paving driveway. Stone-clad raised planters and a set of lit steps now lead up to a new artificial lawn at the back.
Charcoal block paving with stone-clad raised planters and steps up to an artificial lawn 
Gluing the seams on the new artificial lawn at the top of the steps 
The Magnat Landscapes team with the company pickup
3 photos. Swipe or scroll sideways to see them all.
- Location
- Earley
- Completed
- Brief
- Replace a cracked drive and make the slope to the garden usable
- Services
- DrivewaysConstruction
The brief
The old tarmac drive at the side of the house had cracked and sunk in places, and rainwater pooled against the garage after every downpour. The ground rose steeply towards the back garden, so the top half of the space was a muddy bank that nobody used. The customers wanted a smart, level drive that would drain properly, somewhere to plant, and an easy way up to the garden. Everything had to be low maintenance, and they wanted it to look as good in winter as in summer.
What we built
- Around 45 sqm of charcoal concrete block paving on a 30mm sharp sand bed
- Old surface broken out and dug down to 200mm, with the spoil taken away
- 150mm MOT Type 1 sub-base over geotextile membrane, compacted in two layers
- Channel drain across the front, with the levels set to fall away from the house
- Two raised planters and a flight of steps in blockwork on concrete footings
- Split-face stone cladding with porcelain coping to match the steps
- Recessed lights set into the planter walls
- Artificial lawn laid on the upper level
We built the planters and steps first, so the paving could be cut in neatly against finished walls rather than the other way round. The sub-base went down in two compacted layers, and the levels were checked across the whole drive before any blocks were laid, so the finished surface sheds water without visible slopes.
The result
The drive is now level and dry, and the water runs off into the channel drain instead of towards the garage. The bank has become two planted beds and a set of steps up to a lawn the family actually use. After dark the wall lights pick out the steps, so the route to the garden is safe all year round.