Sloping Gardens in Sheffield: Retaining Walls, Patios and Groundwork

Sheffield is built on hills, and plenty of its gardens slope steeply away from the house or up towards the back fence. A level patio or driveway is still possible on that kind of ground, but it takes more planning than on a flat plot, and most of the work happens before any paving goes down.

Start with the walls

On a slope, the walls come first. A retaining wall holds back the soil so a flat area can be created behind or below it, and it has to be designed for that load: the right thickness, proper footings and a way for water to drain out from behind it. Experienced retaining wall builders will advise on height, thickness and materials, whether the wall is brick, stone or block with a decorative face.

Getting machinery into the garden

Cutting into a slope means moving a lot of soil, and doing it by hand is slow and expensive. The difficulty in many Sheffield terraces and semis is access, as the only way into the back garden may be a narrow side passage. A 1 tonne micro digger, with tracks that close up to squeeze through tight gaps, can often get where larger machines cannot. Booking digger and driver hire also means an experienced operator who knows how to work safely near walls, fences and neighbours.

Setting the levels for a patio

Once the walls are in and the ground is dug out, the patio can be built on a compacted sub-base. It should never be perfectly flat: a slight fall away from the house lets rain run off instead of pooling against the walls. On a sloping garden that may mean two or three stepped sections joined by steps or a path rather than one large area. Good patio installers in Sheffield will help you decide where those levels should sit, and edge each section neatly into lawns, borders or gravel.

Where the water goes

• Behind retaining walls: drainage so water does not build up and push the wall outwards
• On patios: a fall away from the house, and somewhere for the run-off to go
• On driveways: a permeable surface such as resin bound, or drainage built in for solid surfaces

Questions to ask before you book

1. Will one team handle the walls, the groundwork and the paving?
2. How will machinery get into the garden, and what happens to the spoil?
3. How will water drain from behind the walls and off the patio?
4. Where will the steps sit, and how many levels does the garden need?
5. Is the sub-base depth included in the price?

A sloping garden takes more planning, but it often ends up with more character than a flat one. For more on driveway and paving companies, see our driveways and paving category.