Gabion Retaining Wall & Raised Sandstone Patio in Nottingham

The garden sat above the fields behind the house, but the bank dropped away too steeply to use and the old level was crumbling at the edge. The owners wanted a proper seating area up at the back that made the most of the view.

We held the slope with gabion walls, stone-filled cages that lock together and let water drain straight through, so there is nothing for pressure to build up behind. We filled them with reclaimed stone to match the brick on the house, then stepped them down at the side to take the change in level.

On top of that we laid a raised Indian sandstone patio, with steps down to the lawn and a timber rail along the drop. It is a solid, low-fuss finish, and now they get the whole sweep of the fields from the back door.