Patios in Haxby

Haxby's homes and gardens

Haxby's name is Old Norse: the settlement, or "by", of a man called Hákr. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Haxebi. For centuries it was a farming village; in the 20th century it grew rapidly as a place to live within reach of York, and it received a town charter in 1992. The parish had 8,428 people at the 2011 Census, and it now forms one built-up area with Wigginton.

The Haxby and Wigginton ward has the highest share of detached homes of the York areas we cover: 50.2% in the 2021 Census, with 33.8% semi-detached, 8.7% terraced and 6.2% flats. Most of those homes date from the 1960s onward, laid out on estates either side of The Village.

That means a lot of conventional suburban gardens: a side drive or garage, a fenced back garden of reasonable size and, very often, a builder's patio by the back door that is now too small or uneven. Owners usually want a wider, deeper patio, sometimes wrapping around a conservatory or extension, with a clean edge to the lawn. The older houses on The Village have narrower plots and more varied boundaries.

Sandy ground in Haxby

The British Geological Survey shows Haxby on the Sutton Sand Formation, a wind-blown sand laid down at the end of the last Ice Age, over Sherwood Sandstone. Sand like this drains freely, which is good for a patio base, but it is loose and needs confining.

We dig out the topsoil, lay a geotextile so the sand cannot migrate into the stone, compact a crushed-stone sub-base in layers, and restrain the patio's edges with a haunched concrete edge or a kerb so the sand cannot spread. Laid this way, sandy ground gives a very stable patio.

Haxby has a surprising number of surface water low spots on the Environment Agency's map, more than any other area we cover in York, partly because the land is so flat. Flood Zone 3 lies within 750 metres of the centre, along the River Foss to the east. We set a fall away from the house and, where water collects, take it to a soakaway in the free-draining sand.

Planning in Haxby

The Haxby Conservation Area covers The Village, the town's main street, and has done since 1976. There are only three listed buildings and structures: 48 The Village, a cross stump south of St Mary's Church and the old Station House. Away from The Village, standard national rules cover nearly every home.

A ground-level back-garden patio is permitted development. A raised platform over 30cm needs planning permission, and so does more than five square metres of non-permeable paving in a front garden. We mention anything worth checking with City of York Council when we visit.

Surfaces that work in Haxby

Half of the homes in the Haxby and Wigginton ward are detached, and a further third are semi-detached. Most date from the large post-war expansion of the village, so gardens tend to be a good size, fairly level and easy to reach through a side gate. That makes Haxby a straightforward place to lay a larger patio, sometimes with a second paved area at the far end of the garden to catch evening sun.

Sandstone in buff, grey or autumn shades is a common choice against the brick of these houses. Porcelain has become popular for its even colour and easy cleaning, and it works well with a modern garden layout. Block paving is useful where the patio needs to link to a drive or a side path.

The sandy ground means rainwater soaks away well, so in many Haxby gardens run-off can go into a gravel border or a simple soakaway. Around The Village itself, in the conservation area, we suggest natural stone that suits the older houses there.

On sand we still restrain every edge firmly, because loose sand can creep from under an unsupported slab over the years.

Cost factors in Haxby

We give a quote after a visit. In Haxby the main factors are:

• Size. Detached houses often take larger patios.
• Removal. Lifting the original builder's patio.
• Edges. Sandy ground needs firm edge restraint.
• Drainage. A soakaway where water collects.
• Material. Sandstone, porcelain or clay pavers.
• Shape. Wrapping around a conservatory or extension.

Close to Haxby

• Heworth patios: South: terraces, villas and 1930s semis in the city.
• Clifton patios: South-west: Victorian terraces around Clifton Green.
• Nether Poppleton patios: West: a village on a gravel bed beside the Ouse.

Pages Haxby owners often read: natural stone patios, porcelain patios, brick & block patios.

All of the areas we cover: All areas.

Questions about patios in Haxby

Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Haxby and Wigginton ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Haxby; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.