Landscapers for Gardens Across Newbury and the Kennet Valley
Newbury sits in the valley of the River Kennet. The river and the Kennet and Avon Canal run through the middle of the town, the River Lambourn passes along its northern edge and the River Enborne lies to the south. All that water has a say in how gardens here behave. Some plots near the river stay soft for days after heavy rain, while gardens up on the higher ground can be dry and firm by the following afternoon.
Richard Pack Landscaping is based in Tadley and works with homeowners in Newbury, Thatcham, Greenham, Wash Common and Donnington. We lay porcelain patios, build new driveways, plan whole gardens, fit irrigation and outdoor lighting, and build ponds. This page explains what we look at for each of those jobs on Newbury ground, starting with patios.
Porcelain Patios & Patio Laying in Newbury
A patio is only as good as the ground underneath it. Before a single slab goes down we dig out the soft topsoil, check what lies below, and build a compacted sub base that will carry the weight of the patio, the furniture and the people using it. We then set the levels so that rain has somewhere to go. Every patio we lay has a gentle fall away from the house, so water runs off into a lawn, a planted bed or a drain rather than back towards your door.
Lower ground near the river and canal
Parts of Newbury closer to the Kennet sit low, and in a wet winter the water in the ground can rise close to the surface. A patio laid straight onto ground like that tends to settle unevenly, and puddles form in the dips. On low lying plots we dig deeper, use a free draining sub base, and think about where surface water will end up before the patio is designed. Sometimes that means a channel drain along the edge of the patio, sometimes a soakaway in a part of the garden that drains better.
Higher ground towards Wash Common and Greenham Common
Gardens on the higher land to the south of the town usually drain faster, but many of them slope. A sloping garden needs a level place to sit, and that can mean a raised patio, a low retaining wall or a few steps between levels. Getting those heights right at the planning stage avoids a patio that tilts or a step that catches people out in the dark.
Why porcelain suits a Newbury garden
Porcelain soaks up very little water, so it is slow to turn green in damp, shady corners and cleans up with a brush and warm water. It does not grip mortar the way sandstone does, so it needs a full bed of mortar and a bonding primer to hold firm. You can see the range of finishes on our porcelain paving page.
If you already have a patio that is sound but the joints have cracked or washed out, it may not need replacing at all. Patio repointing fills the joints again and stops weeds and water getting underneath.
New Driveway Installation in Newbury
Many Newbury homes were built before most households had two cars, and a front lawn that once looked tidy now leaves someone parking on the road. A new driveway can change that, and it is a job worth planning properly because a drive has to carry the weight of a car every day for years. Our page on new driveway installation sets out how we plan and build a drive.
We can lay block paving, porcelain or a permeable surface, and we also install resin driveways. The right choice depends on how much room you have, how the ground drains and how the drive will look against the house.
There is also a planning rule to know about. In England, if you pave more than five square metres of a front garden with a surface that water cannot pass through, you need planning permission unless the rain is directed to a lawn or border within your own boundary. A permeable surface of any size does not need permission. On a low lying Newbury plot a permeable drive is often the sensible choice anyway, as it lets rain soak away where it falls.
A Landscaping Company in Newbury for the Whole Garden
Some people come to us for one patio. Others want the whole garden looked at again, from the back door to the far fence. When we plan a full garden we start with how you want to use it: where the sun falls in the evening, where children play, where the bins go, and which parts stay wet in winter.
The order of work matters on a bigger job. Groundwork and drainage come first, then walls, steps and paving. Pipes for irrigation and cables for lighting go in before the final surfaces are laid, so nothing has to be dug up later. Planting beds and lawns are finished last, once the heavy work is out of the way. Our landscaping page explains how a project is managed from the first site visit to completion.
Paths, edges and steps
Small details decide how well a garden wears. Edging holds a lawn in shape and stops it creeping onto the patio. A path needs a firm base just like a patio, or it ruts where people walk most. Steps should rise by the same height each time so nobody trips. We build these into the plan from the start rather than adding them at the end.
Garden Irrigation & Outdoor Lighting Installation in Newbury
A watering system takes the chore out of keeping lawns and borders going through a dry spell, and it can be set to water early in the morning when less is lost to the sun. Outdoor lighting makes paths and steps safer after dark and lets you use the patio on a summer evening. Both are neatest when fitted alongside other work, with pipes and cables hidden under the new paving. The types of system we fit are listed on the garden irrigation and lighting page.
Pond Builder & Pond Installation in Newbury
Richard trained in Fishery Management, so the parts of a pond you cannot see, the filtration, the circulation and the depth, get as much thought as the edges. We build wildlife ponds, eco system ponds and decorative water features, and we can fit a pond safety grid where children or pets use the garden. See our ponds and water features page for the full range.
Working with Richard Pack Landscaping in Newbury
- Clear quotations and no pressure sales
- A free quote after we have seen the garden
- Minimum five year guarantee on workmanship
- Advice based on your ground, your levels and how you use the space
Questions from Newbury Homeowners
My garden stays wet after rain. Can I still have a patio?
Yes. A wet garden needs more work underneath, not a different idea. We dig deeper, use a free draining base and plan where the water will go, whether that is a lawn, a border, a channel drain or a soakaway.
We have moved into a new build. Where do we start?
New homes have gone up around Newbury in recent years, including beside the racecourse. New build gardens often have thin topsoil over compacted ground. A good place to start is usually the patio and the levels next to the house, then the soil can be improved before any lawn or planting goes in.
Can a patio and a driveway be done in one job?
Yes, and it often saves time. One set of groundwork, one delivery of materials and one skip can serve both, and the front and back can be finished in matching or complementary paving.
Do you cover Thatcham and the villages around Newbury?
Yes. As well as the town itself we work in Thatcham, Greenham, Wash Common, Donnington and the villages nearby.