The problem
A neighbour's tree had been cut down, but its old roots ran under the front and were coming up near the house.
How we solved it
We dug every one out with the rest of the ground, so nothing is left to rot away under the new drive.
All our work
The Beanhill herringbone driveway
Tired grass and old concrete turned into a herringbone block paved drive, with room to park off the road.
Milton Keynes, finished
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Postcode
- MK6
- Days on site
- 8
- Material
- Block paving
- Area
- 38 m²
- Year
- 2026
// The brief
Nowhere to park.
James and Michelle's front garden was tired grass and old concrete. There wasn't enough room to park, and there isn't much space on the road.
The front of the house was tired grass, an old slab path and some concrete. There wasn't enough room for their cars, and there isn't much parking on the road outside.
A neighbour's tree had been cut down, but its roots were still under the front and coming up through it. They'd stopped growing, but James and Michelle didn't want them so close to the house.
// Before and after
From grass and concrete to a driveway.
Both are real photos of this job, taken before we started and when we finished.
// The hurdle
Choosing who to trust.
James and Michelle had another quote in hand, and expected ours to cost more.
At the visit they told us our work looked really professional, and that we seemed more trustworthy than the others they'd had round. They'd rather pay for the peace of mind. So we didn't trim anything to chase the other price. Full dig-out, a proper stone base, drainage along the house. The same standard we build every drive to.
// What we did
Dug out, built up, laid in herringbone.
We broke out the old concrete and path, then dug the whole front out, roots and all. A membrane went down, then 150 mm of MOT Type 1 (crushed stone that locks together when it's compacted), done in layers.
On top, a sand bed and block paving, laid in herringbone with a charcoal border and a kerb on the open edge. We chose herringbone: it locks together best under turning tyres, and it looks better.
- Old concrete, grass and tree roots dug out
- Membrane and 150 mm of compacted MOT Type 1
- 38 m² of block paving in herringbone
- Charcoal border, with a kerb on the open edge
- Drainage channel along the house, downpipe connected
// Problems we solved
What we had to work out.
The problem
The digger and the grab lorry both turned up late, so the dug-out pile sat on the drive waiting to go.
How we solved it
We worked one side at a time. Membrane and stone went down on the clear side first. Once the grab took the pile, we levelled the other side, skipped the leftovers, and built that up too.
The problem
The drive runs right up to the house, so rainwater needed somewhere to go other than the walls.
How we solved it
A drainage channel runs the length of the house, with the garage downpipe connected straight into it.
“They really like the herringbone. James said to me they think they made the right decision.”
// Honestly
What worked, and the trade-off.
// More photos
A closer look.
Milton Keynes
The Milton Keynes block paving driveway
A two-car block paved drive taken over to the house, in new brindle blocks matched to the old.
Luton
The Luton sandstone patio and steps
A sloping, overgrown garden turned into a sandstone patio, steps and a new lawn, with every load carried through the house.
Edgcott
The dog-friendly artificial lawn
An artificial lawn that held the smell of three dogs, relaid properly on a new base, with the borders replanted.
Got a garden like this?
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Let’s talk about your garden.
Book a quick call at a time that suits you, get an instant estimate online, or ring us on 01582 377 593.
Where we work. Dunstable, Luton, Leighton Buzzard, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Milton Keynes, and the towns and villages in between.