Driveways, Patios & Fencing in Ashford

Building in Ashford: what to know

On newer estates, most enquiries are about extending a driveway or replacing a basic new-build patio with something better. In Tenterden, Charing and the villages, the focus is on paving and walls that suit older, often listed, properties.

• Clay country

  Ashford sits where the Gault clay vale meets the Weald Clay, with the Lower Greensand between them and the chalk of the Downs rising to the north at Wye and Charing. South of the town towards Tenterden and the Marsh, heavy clay dominates. Clay shrinks in dry summers and swells when wet, so a driveway laid on a thin base will rut and sink. We excavate deeper, use a well-compacted Type 1 sub-base, and design falls and drainage to move water away.

• New estates and covenants

  Many recent developments around Ashford have estate management companies and covenants that cover front gardens, parking and fencing. Check your title before changing anything at the front; rear patios and landscaping are rarely restricted.

• Tenterden and Wealden villages

  Tenterden's broad High Street, and villages such as Biddenden, Smarden, Pluckley, Chilham and Wye, have conservation areas and many listed buildings. Weatherboarding, tile-hanging and soft red brick are typical, so visible boundary work should use sympathetic materials.

• Dropped kerbs through Kent County Council

  KCC is the highways authority for Ashford. New or widened dropped kerbs need approval from the county council before any work on the pavement, and the driveway should be designed to match.