Framwellgate Moor's houses
The name Framwellgate means "road to the vigorous spring", from Old English and Old Norse words for a strong spring and a road. Framwellgate Moor grew as a village on the moorland north of the city, and today its civil parish also includes Pity Me and Brasside. It had 5,404 people at the 2011 Census. It is home to New College Durham and Framwellgate School.
Front Street is the old spine of the village, with brick terraces, shops and the Marquis of Granby pub, which is listed. Behind it, estates of semi-detached houses fill roads such as Beech Road, Westcott Drive and Carrside. The 2021 Census for the area covering Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me records 59.7% semi-detached homes, 16.8% terraced, 11.2% detached and 10.8% flats.
Gardens behind the semis are typically rectangular, with a lawn and a side path, while terraced homes near Front Street have yards or short gardens. Popular projects include replacing old concrete or slabs with a full-width patio, adding a patio outside new doors and paving a yard so it drains properly.
Sand and gravel ground
The British Geological Survey maps glaciofluvial sand and gravel, laid down by meltwater, over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures. This ground drains much better than the clay found in many Durham suburbs, though it can vary from place to place.
We dig to a firm level, compact a crushed-stone sub-base, and restrain the edges so loose material can't spread. Slabs are bedded on mortar, at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course, with a fall away from the house. On free-draining ground, run-off can often go into a border or soakaway; where pockets of clay turn up, we add a drain.
The Environment Agency shows no river flood zone within 750 metres. Its surface water map marks some low spots, often in yards and along roads, which we take into account when setting levels.
Planning and listed buildings
Framwellgate Moor has no conservation area of its own. Nearby listed buildings include Aykley Heads House (Grade II*), Dryburn House, the gate piers and walls at County Hall, the Western and Grey Lodges, the County Police communication tower and the Marquis of Granby. For a typical house, a ground-level back-garden patio is permitted development. Raised patios over 300 mm and listed properties need permission, and front paving over five square metres must be permeable or drain to a border.
Ideas for semi-detached gardens
A semi's garden usually has one long boundary with the neighbour and a side path on the other. We often run the patio across the full width of the house, then continue a path down the open side to a shed or back gate. If the patio faces north, a second paved spot at the end of the garden catches the sun. A low wall or raised bed at the patio's edge adds seating and makes the garden feel planned.
Choosing paving
Block paving in herringbone is hard-wearing and suits the brick of the estates; it also copes with bins and bikes. Sandstone gives a warmer, more natural look. Porcelain suits modern extensions and is very easy to clean. On sand and gravel, permeable block paving can let rain soak straight through.
Front Street terraces
The brick terraces along and behind Front Street have smaller outdoor spaces than the estates. Some have a yard directly behind the house; others a short garden reached through a back gate. These spaces work best kept simple: a single paving material across the whole yard, a clear fall to a drain, and planting in pots or a narrow bed along a wall. If there is a back lane, deliveries and spoil can go out that way rather than through the house. Where a yard is shaded by neighbouring buildings, porcelain or a sawn stone stays cleaner than riven stone.
Cost considerations in Framwellgate Moor
- Size. Full-width patios behind semis.
- Removal. Lifting old concrete or slabs.
- Ground. Compaction and edging on sand and gravel.
- Drainage. Simpler on free-draining ground.
- Material. Block paving, sandstone or porcelain.
- Extras. Paths, low walls or raised beds.
Next door to Framwellgate Moor
- Garden patios, Newton Hall: East: a large housing estate by the East Coast Main Line.
- Garden patios, Neville's Cross: South-west: a suburb on the A167 west of the city.
- Garden patios, Gilesgate: South-east: the old street climbing from Durham's centre.
Patio types for Framwellgate Moor homes: block paved patios, stone patios, porcelain patios.
See every area: All areas covered.
Common questions from Framwellgate Moor
Is the ground good for a patio?
Generally yes. Sand and gravel drain well. It still needs compacting and firm edges.
What suits a brick semi?
Herringbone block paving or a buff sandstone, both of which sit well with brick.
Do we need permission?
Not usually for a ground-level patio at the back.
Can you add a path to the shed at the same time?
Yes. It is efficient to lay both on the same base during one visit.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, MSOA County Durham 023 (Nomis); Wikipedia: Framwellgate Moor; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.