A market town with long gardens
Stokesley has kept much of its old character. Its broad market place and High Street are lined with Georgian and Victorian brick houses, and the River Leven runs along the south side of the centre, crossed by small bridges and a packhorse bridge. The town is known for the Stokesley Show, its long-running agricultural show each September. Around the centre, twentieth-century and newer housing has spread out on the edges of town.
Behind many of the older town-centre houses run long, narrow gardens, a pattern that goes back centuries. They suit a terrace by the house, a path down the length of the garden and perhaps a second sitting area further down where the sun lingers. On the newer estates, the job is more often a modern patio outside bi-fold or French doors, replacing a small builder's patio, with steps to the lawn.
Natural stone sits comfortably with Stokesley's mellow brick, so Indian sandstone is a popular choice, but porcelain is increasingly asked for on modern homes because it is so easy to look after.
Stokesley also has plenty of homes with garden walls in old, soft brick, which can be fragile. When a patio meets an old wall, we take care not to undermine its footings and keep the patio's fall running away from the wall as well as the house. Where a wall needs repair, we will mention it at the visit rather than leave you to discover it later.
The Leven, flooding and drainage
The River Leven is part of what makes Stokesley attractive, but some properties close to the river sit in areas the Environment Agency identifies as at risk of flooding. If you live near the river, it is worth checking the Environment Agency's long-term flood risk map for your address before planning a big area of paving.
Wherever you are in town, drainage matters. The ground here includes clay and river deposits that can hold water, and a large patio sheds a lot of rain quickly. We give every patio a fall away from the house, take water to a border, gully or soakaway, and consider permeable options such as resin-bound paths where it helps. Under the surface, we dig out to firm ground, build a compacted crushed-stone sub-base and bed each slab on mortar, so the patio stays level through wet winters and dry summers.
We also keep the finished surface comfortably below the damp-proof course. On older houses, where floors and thresholds can be low, that sometimes means lowering the ground by the back door rather than raising it.
Planning in Stokesley
Stokesley is in North Yorkshire, so planning is handled by North Yorkshire Council. A back-garden patio laid at ground level is normally permitted development. A raised patio more than 30cm above the ground usually needs permission, and so does more than five square metres of non-porous paving in a front garden unless it drains to a lawn or border.
The historic centre is the Stokesley Conservation Area and includes many listed buildings. If your home is listed, works within its grounds may need listed building consent, and tree work in the conservation area needs six weeks' notice to the council. Garden walls near the street also deserve care in the centre, where old brick boundaries are part of the town's look.
We are often asked what a Stokesley patio will cost. A long town-centre garden or a large terrace outside new doors can vary widely with the area, the stone and the drainage work involved. Our patio prices guide explains the main factors, and the quote after our visit gives you the figure.
Patios in nearby areas
We also lay patios close to Stokesley:
- Patios in Great Ayton: A couple of miles east along the Leven, with stone cottages and sloping hillside plots.
- Patios in Nunthorpe: On the way back towards Middlesbrough, with large suburban gardens and mature trees.
See every place we cover on our areas page.
Questions people ask
Do you come out to Stokesley?
Yes. We cover Stokesley and the TS9 area, including the villages on the way from Middlesbrough, and the visit and quote are free.
We live near the river. Can we still have a patio?
Usually, yes. We check how water drains across the garden and keep the patio's fall away from the house, and we suggest you look at the Environment Agency flood map for your address so you know the risk.
Our house is listed. What do we need to check?
Listed buildings often need listed building consent for works, so speak to North Yorkshire Council before booking. We are happy to work with whatever the council agrees.
Can a patio be laid along a long, narrow garden?
Yes. We often lay a terrace by the house and a path down the length of the garden, sometimes with a second sitting area at the far end, all on the same proper base.
