The houses here
Greatham was part of the County Palatine of Durham, so it does not appear in the Domesday Book; it first shows up in writing as Gretham in 1196. In 1273 Robert de Stichell, Bishop of Durham, founded the Hospital of God here to help the poor. The hospital still stands, its buildings and chapel now listed. During the Second World War the village was briefly home to RAF Greatham.
The civil parish, including Newton Bewley, had 2,132 people at the 2011 Census, and the village itself around a thousand. Its housing ranges from old cottages on Front Street and the High Street to Saltaire Terrace and newer estates on the edge. For census purposes Greatham shares the Fens and Greatham ward with the much larger Fens estate, so the ward figures (65.6% semi-detached, 18.9% detached, 12.6% terraced) mostly describe Fens; the village has a higher share of older cottages and individual houses.
Cottage gardens here tend to be long and walled, often with outbuildings. The terraces have small yards. The newer houses have standard suburban plots. A typical Greatham brief is a patio by the house in a material that suits old brick, with a path down the garden and perhaps a low wall to separate the patio from beds or lawn.
Ground and water in Greatham
The British Geological Survey shows Greatham on glacial till over Sherwood Sandstone. The till is a dense, stony clay that drains slowly, so older patios laid on thin sand often settle.
We dig out topsoil and soft clay, use a geotextile, and build a compacted crushed-stone sub-base, with a fall away from the house. Where a garden holds water, we add a channel drain, or a soakaway where the clay allows.
The village is close to Greatham Creek and the low-lying land toward the Tees, and the Environment Agency shows Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres of the centre. Gardens on the lower side of the village deserve a careful look at levels and where water will go. Surface water mapping also shows low spots across the area.
Many Greatham cottage gardens include an old outbuilding, a well-worn brick path or a section of stone flags, and some owners want to keep them as part of the new design. Where the old material is sound, we can lift and relay it on a proper base, or use it as an edging or a strip within the new patio, so the result still looks as though it belongs to an old house. Where it is not, we suggest new stone in a similar colour.
Do you need permission?
Greatham's conservation area covers much of the old village, and there are 22 listed buildings and structures, including houses on Front Street and the High Street, Greatham Hospital and its chapel, Greatham House, the Church of St John the Baptist, the war memorial and several boundary walls with gate piers.
A ground-level patio at the back of a house is normally permitted development, even in a conservation area. Boundary walls are important to Greatham's character, and several are listed in their own right, so taking down or altering a wall, or paving a front garden, needs checking with Hartlepool Borough Council. We will point out anything that needs a check at the visit.
Pricing a Greatham patio
We quote after seeing the garden. In Greatham the main factors are:
- Garden length. Long cottage gardens often add a path.
- Clay. Soft ground replaced with compacted stone.
- Drainage. More important on the lower side of the village.
- Walls. Working near old or listed walls with care.
- Material. Sandstone and buff slabs suit old brick.
- Access. Narrow passages on older cottages.
Around Greatham
- Patios, Fens: North: post-war semis around Fens Crescent and Spalding Road.
- Patios, Seaton Carew: North-east: the seaside resort across the railway.
- Patios, Rift House: North: terraced and semi-detached streets near Brierton Lane.
Pages Greatham owners often read: patio slabs and paving, indian sandstone patios, garden walls.
All places we cover: areas page.
What Greatham homeowners ask
Our cottage is in the conservation area. Do we need permission?
Not usually for a ground-level patio at the back. Front gardens, boundary walls and listed buildings need checking.
Does living near Greatham Creek affect the patio?
It can make drainage more important. We check levels and add drains or a soakaway where the ground stays wet.
What material suits an old Greatham cottage?
Riven sandstone or buff textured slabs sit well with old brick. We bring samples to compare.
Can you repair our old garden wall at the same time?
Often, yes. If the wall is listed or in the conservation area, we check what is allowed first.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Fens and Greatham ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Greatham, County Durham; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.