Garden patios in Bowburn

Bowburn's houses

Bowburn began as a small farming hamlet, named after the shape of the small burn that runs through it. Early attempts at mining in the 1840s came to little, but in 1906 Bell Brothers began sinking a new Bowburn Colliery, and the first coal was drawn in 1908. Merged with Tursdale colliery in 1931, it became one of the largest pits in the Durham coalfield, with more than 2,500 men in the 1950s. It closed in July 1967, and the colliery yard is now the Bowburn South Industrial Estate. The village marked its centenary in 2006, and its restored miners' banners still parade at the Durham Miners' Gala.

Much of Bowburn's housing is still terraces or post-war council-built estates, but its position near junction 61 of the A1(M) has brought a lot of new owner-occupied housing. The Census area covering Bowburn and Shincliffe records 41.0% semi-detached homes, 32.5% terraced, 25.0% detached and very few flats.

So gardens vary. Older terraces have small yards or short gardens. Post-war semis, like those off Tail-upon-End Lane, have long rectangular plots. New estates have smaller, more regular gardens, often with a strip of slabs laid by the developer. Requests range from a tidy yard to a full patio to replace a builder's basic slabs.

Clay ground

The British Geological Survey records glacial till over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures. Till drains slowly, and on new estates the topsoil is often thin, with compacted clay and building debris just below.

We dig out soft material, lay a geotextile, and compact a crushed-stone sub-base in layers. Slabs are bedded on mortar, at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course, with a fall away from the house and clear of air bricks. Where water can't soak away, a channel drain or gully takes it off. New-build gardens often have shallow drainage runs and inspection chambers, which we locate and work around rather than cover.

The Environment Agency shows no river flood zone within 750 metres. Its surface water map marks a number of low spots, so we check how your garden behaves after rain.

New-build gardens

On the newer estates, the developer's patio is often a narrow strip of thin slabs on sand. Replacing it with a deeper, wider patio laid on a proper base makes the garden far more usable. Before work starts, it is worth checking your deeds or the estate's covenants, as some restrict changes to front gardens; back-garden patios are rarely affected. A ground-level patio is usually permitted development. Raised patios over 300 mm need permission.

Planning

There are no listed buildings recorded near the centre point. Front-garden paving over five square metres needs to be permeable, or drain to a lawn or border, unless planning permission is granted. We point out anything relevant at the visit.

Choosing paving in Bowburn

Block paving is hard-wearing and suits both terraced yards and family gardens, especially where the patio also takes bins, bikes or a path to the back gate. Porcelain gives a clean finish behind new houses and is easy to keep clean. Sandstone suits older terraces and looks warmer against brick. We bring samples so you can see them against your house.

Terraced streets in the older village

The older part of Bowburn, built as the colliery grew, has terraced streets such as Brockwell Street with compact yards behind the houses. Many still have their original concrete or brick surfaces, which have cracked or sunk over the decades. Relaying a yard on a proper base, with a fall to the existing gully, makes it far easier to keep clean. Where a yard has a back gate onto a lane, materials can come in that way, which keeps the house clean and saves time. Light-coloured paving helps brighten a yard enclosed by high walls.

Cost considerations in Bowburn

• Removal. Lifting builder's slabs or old concrete.
• Clay. A deeper compacted base.
• Drainage. Gullies or channel drains on clay.
• Size. Small yards to long post-war gardens.
• Material. Block paving, porcelain or sandstone.
• Access. Terraces may need materials carried through.

Next door to Bowburn

• Garden patios, Shincliffe: North-west: a conservation village by the River Wear.
• Garden patios, Sherburn: North: a former pit village among fields.
• Garden patios, Belmont: North, beyond the A1(M): a suburb of former pit villages.

Patio types for Bowburn homes: block paved patios, porcelain patios, stone patios.

See every area: All areas covered.

Common questions from Bowburn

Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, MSOA County Durham 041 (Nomis); Wikipedia: Bowburn; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.