Few flat plots
From the banks of the Wear up to Gilesgate, Neville's Cross and Crossgate Moor, Durham rarely sits level. Plenty of houses stand above the road with the drive climbing up to them, and others sit below with water running down towards the garage. A driveway here has to do more than look good. It needs to give tyres and feet a safe grip, carry water to the right place and stay where it was laid.
That's why we start every job by measuring levels. Once we know the gradient and where the water goes, we can choose a surface that suits, design a channel drain or soakaway, and decide whether a retaining edge or wall is needed. Our guide to sloping driveways explains more.
The right surface for the gradient
Block paving and tarmac handle steeper drives well. Imprinted concrete can be given a textured finish for grip. Resin-bound works on gentle to moderate slopes, and gravel is best kept for level ground, such as village plots in Shincliffe or Brancepeth.
A city of contrasts
Durham's housing ranges from Georgian and Victorian homes in the conservation area around the cathedral and castle, a World Heritage Site, to inter-war semis in Neville's Cross, 1970s estates at Newton Hall and Belmont, and terraces in former pit villages such as Bowburn, Brandon and Langley Moor. Each has its own frontage, its own access and its own driveway questions.
Parking off the road
If you're turning a front garden into parking, the kerb needs lowering first, with Durham County Council's consent. See kerb dropping.
