The houses here
People have lived around Hart for a very long time: there is evidence of occupation from about 6000 BC and farming from around 3500 BC. After the Vikings destroyed the monastery at Hartlepool, Hart remained a seat of local lords. Robert de Brus took control of the area around 1119, and the Clifford family held it from 1306. The parish church of St Mary Magdalene, the mother church of St Hilda's on the Headland, is listed Grade I.
Today Hart is a compact village of stone cottages, farmhouses and some newer homes. It sits inside the Hart ward, which also takes in Clavering and other newer estates on the north-western edge of Hartlepool. Across that ward, the 2021 Census records 43.1% detached homes, 32.1% semi-detached, 13.3% terraced and 10.5% flats. The village itself is smaller and older in character than the ward average suggests.
Gardens in the village are varied. Front Street cottages often have long, narrow back gardens with old stone walls. Farmhouses and converted buildings may have courtyards. The newer houses have standard rear plots, frequently with views over open country. Common requests include a patio by the house that suits stone walls, and paths linking the patio with the rest of a long garden.
Sand and gravel in Hart
The British Geological Survey maps Hart on hummocky glacial deposits, a mixture of diamicton with sand and gravel, laid down in mounds by melting ice, over dolostone of the Roker Formation. Compared with the heavy till found across most of Hartlepool, this ground generally drains well.
The catch is that it changes quickly: a sandy pocket at one end of a garden can give way to clay at the other. We dig to a consistent depth, take out soft patches, compact the formation and lay a geotextile and a crushed-stone sub-base. That gives an even bearing whatever is underneath.
The village is on higher ground, and the Environment Agency does not show Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres of its centre. Rain still needs somewhere to go: we set a fall away from the house and, where a garden slopes toward the building, add a drain at the top of the patio. Hart is open to the weather, so patios often benefit from the shelter of a wall or hedge.
Old stone walls are a feature of many Front Street gardens. They often lean slightly or have shallow footings, so we keep heavy machinery and deep digging away from their bases. Where a wall needs repointing or a few stones resetting, it is often sensible to do it before the new patio goes down beside it.
Do you need permission?
Hart has seven listed buildings and structures: the Grade I Church of St Mary Magdalene, its boundary wall (Grade II*), the Brus Wall south-west of the church, Hart Windmill, Home Farmhouse and Farm Cottage, Voltigeur Cottage and Clevecote. The national planning data we checked does not show a conservation area in the village.
For most homes, a ground-level back-garden patio is permitted development. Raised platforms over 30cm, front-garden paving over five square metres that is not permeable, and any work affecting a listed building or its setting need more care. We point out anything worth checking with Hartlepool Borough Council at the visit.
Pricing a Hart patio
We quote after a visit. In Hart the main factors are:
- Ground. Mixed sand, gravel and clay can need extra excavation in places.
- Garden length. Long cottage gardens often mean a patio plus a path.
- Old walls. Working carefully near stone boundary walls.
- Access. Narrow side passages on older cottages.
- Material. Sandstone suits stone cottages; porcelain suits newer homes.
- Removal. Lifting old flags, concrete or gravel.
Around Hart
- Patios, Elwick: South-west: another old village, with a green and conservation area.
- Patios, Throston: East, toward the coast: Hartlepool's northern estates.
- Patios, the Headland: Further east: the original walled town on the peninsula.
Pages that suit village gardens: indian sandstone patios, garden paths and steps, garden walls.
All places we cover: areas page.
What Hart homeowners ask
Does the sandy ground in Hart mean less digging?
Sometimes. Sand and gravel drain well, but pockets of clay are common, so we still dig to a consistent depth and build a proper sub-base.
Is Hart a conservation area?
The national planning data does not show one, but several buildings, including the Grade I church, are listed. We check your address at the visit.
What stone suits a Front Street cottage?
Buff or grey riven sandstone sits well with old stone and brick. We bring samples so you can compare them against your walls.
Can you lay a path down our long garden too?
Yes. A matching or contrasting path is often laid alongside the patio on the same base.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Hart ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Hart, County Durham; Planning Data: listed buildings; Planning Data: conservation areas; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.