Belmont's housing
Belmont was farmland in the parishes of St Giles and Pittington until coal mining arrived in the second half of the 19th century. Several collieries were sunk; the largest, Belmont Colliery, took its name from Belmont Hall, built in the 1820s and now known again as Ramside Hall. The mining villages of Belmont, Carrville, Broomside, Gilesgate Moor and others formed the new Belmont Parish in 1852. Most of the pits had closed by the late 19th century, many of the early houses were later demolished, and the area grew again from the 1950s with industrial and suburban development. The A1(M) now cuts through it. The parish had 8,881 people at the 2011 Census.
Belmont is strongly semi-detached. The 2021 Census for the area around the centre point records 65.0% semi-detached homes, 20.5% detached, 7.8% terraced and 5.9% flats. Older terraces survive on roads such as Broomside Lane, while streets like Devonshire Road, Cheveley Walk and Swinside Drive are estates of semis and some detached houses.
The typical Belmont garden is a rectangle behind a semi, with a side path and a lawn. Owners commonly ask us to replace an original concrete or slab patio, extend it to the full width of the house, or add one outside new doors or a conservatory.
Clay under the lawn
The British Geological Survey records glacial till over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures. Till is a stiff, stony clay that drains slowly, and it shrinks a little in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Patios that were laid on a thin sand bed often move and crack as a result.
Our base is built to cope. We remove topsoil and soft clay, lay a geotextile, and compact a crushed-stone sub-base in layers, usually deeper than on sandy ground. Slabs are fully bedded on mortar, at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course, with a fall away from the house. Air bricks stay clear. Where water has nowhere to soak away, we fit a channel drain along the patio's edge.
The Environment Agency shows no river flood zone within 750 metres. Its surface water map does mark a number of low points nearby, so we check how your garden drains before setting levels.
Family layouts
Most Belmont gardens are used by families, and the patio often has to work for a table, a barbecue, children's toys and a route to the shed or bins. We usually suggest a terrace at least three metres deep across the back of the house, with a path along one side. If the garden faces away from the sun, a second, smaller paved area at the far end can catch the evening light. Raised beds or a low wall at the edge of the patio give extra seating and help define the space.
Planning and listed buildings
Belmont has no conservation area. A handful of buildings are listed, including the Church of St Mary Magdalene and its vicarage with yard wall and gateway, the old school (now a community centre), the war memorial and a road bridge over the Broomside cutting. For most homes, a ground-level back-garden patio is permitted development. Patios raised over 300 mm, listed properties and front-garden paving over five square metres that is not permeable need permission.
Mining history and the ground
Belmont sits on the Durham coalfield, and parts of it were mined in the 19th century. A patio is a shallow structure that adds very little load to the ground, so old workings rarely affect one. The Coal Authority publishes maps of recorded workings if you want to check your own address.
Older terraces on Broomside Lane
Not every Belmont home is a semi. The older terraces on Broomside Lane and nearby streets date from the mining era and have narrower plots, often with a yard close to the house and a longer strip of garden beyond. Here a patio usually means making the yard level, dry and easy to use, with a fall to a gully and a firm surface for bins. Sandstone or porcelain in a mid tone hides marks well. Where the yard is enclosed by brick walls, we check the condition of their bases before paving up to them, and leave weep gaps clear so the walls can dry out.
Cost considerations in Belmont
- Size. Full-width patios behind semis.
- Removal. Breaking out old concrete or slabs.
- Clay. A deeper compacted base.
- Drainage. Channel drains where water can't soak away.
- Material. Sandstone, porcelain or block paving.
- Extras. Low walls, steps or raised beds.
Next door to Belmont
- Garden patios, Gilesgate: South-west: the old street climbing from Durham's centre.
- Garden patios, Sherburn: South-east: a former pit village surrounded by countryside.
- Garden patios, Newton Hall: North-west, across the river: a large housing estate.
Patio types for Belmont homes: stone patios, porcelain patios, block paved patios.
See every area: All areas covered.
Common questions from Belmont
Our old patio has cracked and sunk. Why?
Usually a thin base on clay. We dig deeper and compact a stone sub-base so the new patio stays level.
Can you extend our patio to the full width of the house?
Yes. It is often better to lift the old one and lay one new patio on a single base.
Do we need planning permission?
Not usually for a ground-level patio in the back garden.
Is the mining history a problem for a patio?
Very rarely. A patio is shallow and adds little load. If in doubt, check the Coal Authority map.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, MSOA County Durham 028 (Nomis); Wikipedia: Belmont, County Durham; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.