Housing in Heworth
Heworth's name is Anglo-Saxon for a "high enclosure". It was once a village outside the city, and the name Heworth Village now belongs to a particular road where some of the oldest houses survive. As York grew, the land between the village and the city walls filled in, and the result is one of the most varied housing mixes in York.
Close to Layerthorpe, terraces line East Parade and the surrounding streets. Heworth Green has large Victorian villas, several of them listed, and Elmfield Villa dates from the 1830s. Further out, Stockton Lane and the roads off it are lined with 1930s semi-detached houses, and later suburban building has extended into Heworth Without. The Heworth ward's 2021 Census figures reflect that mix: 41.1% semi-detached, 31.4% terraced, 17.1% flats and 6.6% detached.
Gardens vary just as much. A terrace near East Parade has a small yard, often walled, sometimes with a back lane. A 1930s semi on Stockton Lane has a long, narrow back garden, frequently with a tired concrete patio by the house. Villas on Heworth Green have larger, older gardens. Common requests run from a tidy, well-drained yard to a full-width patio across the back of a semi with a step down to the lawn.
Clay that holds water
The British Geological Survey maps Heworth on clay and silt of the Alne Glaciolacustrine Formation, deposited in a lake as the ice retreated, over Sherwood Sandstone. This fine clay drains slowly and softens when wet, so old patios on a thin sand bed tend to sink and hold puddles.
We dig out topsoil and soft clay, lay a geotextile to stop the clay mixing with the stone, and compact a crushed-stone sub-base. The patio sits below the damp-proof course with a fall away from the house. In enclosed yards the fall goes to a gully or channel drain; on longer gardens we may add a channel at the patio's edge, because a soakaway rarely works well in this clay.
The River Foss runs to the west, and the Environment Agency shows Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres of the centre. Its surface water mapping also marks many low spots across the area. Gardens nearest the Foss deserve a careful look at levels.
Conservation and listed buildings
The Heworth Green/East Parade Conservation Area covers the older streets nearest the city. Around 18 buildings are listed, including several villas on Heworth Green, houses on Heworth Village and The Limes.
A ground-level back-garden patio is normally permitted development, inside or outside the conservation area. Front gardens, front walls and railings and listed buildings need more care, and some changes need City of York Council's consent. More than five square metres of new non-permeable paving at the front needs permission anywhere. We point out anything worth checking at the visit.
Choosing materials in Heworth
Heworth's mix of houses means there is no single right answer. For terraces near East Parade, small-format clay pavers in red or brindle shades match the brick and handle tight corners, drains and manhole covers neatly. For the Victorian villas on Heworth Green, riven sandstone or reclaimed York stone suits the age and scale of the houses.
The 1930s semis along Stockton Lane and Whitby Avenue suit sandstone or porcelain. Porcelain is especially practical in Heworth because it does not absorb water, so it stays cleaner on slow-drying clay ground where moss and algae build up on more porous surfaces. A textured, outdoor-grade porcelain gives good grip when wet.
Whatever the surface, we use a firm, compacted base and a set fall. Joints are usually filled with a slurry mortar or a resin compound, which keeps weeds down and stops sand washing out on heavy clay.
What affects the price in Heworth
We quote after seeing the garden. In Heworth the main factors are:
- Access. Terraces may need materials carried through the house.
- Clay. Soft ground replaced with compacted stone.
- Drainage. Gullies or channel drains on slow-draining clay.
- Size. Long 1930s gardens often take full-width patios.
- Material. Clay pavers, sandstone or porcelain.
- Removal. Breaking out old concrete patios and paths.
Close to Heworth
- Haxby patios: North: a town of mostly detached homes on sandy ground.
- Fulford patios: South: a historic village on a sand and gravel ridge.
- Clifton patios: West, across the city: terraces around Clifton Green.
Pages Heworth owners tend to read: brick & block patios, natural stone patios, porcelain patios.
All of the areas we cover: All areas.
Questions about patios in Heworth
Our 1930s semi has an old concrete patio. Can you remove it?
Yes. We break it out, take it away and lay the new patio on a proper base with a fall.
Will a soakaway work on Heworth clay?
Usually not well. We prefer to take water to a gully or drain where that is allowed.
Do I need permission on Heworth Green?
Not usually for a ground-level patio at the back. Front gardens, walls and listed buildings need checking.
What suits a small terraced yard?
Clay pavers or porcelain with a fall to a drain make a small yard neat and easy to keep clean.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Heworth ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Heworth, York; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.