The village
Appleton Wiske is thought to date back to Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as Apletona. It later took the name of the River Wiske to set it apart from other Appletons, such as Appleton-le-Moors. William the Conqueror gave the parish to Robert de Brus of Skelton, an ancestor of Robert the Bruce; his son passed it to St Mary's Abbey in York, which held it until the dissolution of the monasteries, when Henry VIII granted it to Charles Brandon, later Duke of Suffolk. It was historically one of the ancient parishes of the Wapentake of Langbaurgh in the North Riding.
The village is built along Front Street, with brick cottages, the post office, the Lord Nelson Inn and St Mary's Church, and newer houses on the edges. It sits in the large rural Morton-on-Swale and Appleton Wiske ward, where the 2021 Census records 62.6% detached homes, 22.5% semi-detached, 12.3% terraced and very few flats.
Gardens are generally generous, with long plots behind the Front Street houses and wide gardens on the newer homes. Requests usually involve a terrace by the house, a path down the garden or a patio to replace old slabs that have sunk.
Clay that holds water
The British Geological Survey maps glacial till here, a stony clay, over Sherwood Sandstone. The Vale is flat, and till drains slowly, so water lingers on the surface after rain. The Environment Agency's surface water map marks a fair number of low spots within 500 metres, and there is Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres along the Wiske.
That makes drainage the main design point. We dig out topsoil and soft clay, lay a geotextile and compact a crushed-stone sub-base. Slabs are bedded on mortar, at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course, with a firm fall away from the house. A channel drain along the edge of the patio, connected to a suitable outlet, keeps water off both the paving and the lawn. Soakaways rarely work well in this clay.
Planning and listed buildings
Appleton Wiske has no conservation area. Five buildings are listed: the Church of St Mary, Garth House, Staindale House, the Lord Nelson Inn and the Wesley Methodist Chapel. A ground-level back-garden patio is usually permitted development. Listed buildings need more care, and front paving over five square metres must be permeable or drain to a border unless permission is granted.
Choosing a patio
Sandstone in grey or buff tones suits the brick of Front Street. Porcelain is very practical on clay because it does not absorb water, so it dries faster and resists moss. Block paving is useful for paths and areas that take bins or bikes. A raised edge or gravel strip where the patio meets the lawn stops wet soil washing onto it.
Flat gardens in the Vale
Because the land is so flat, a patio can easily end up level with the lawn and hold water. We set the patio slightly higher than the surrounding ground, with a gentle step down, and give it a clear fall. This keeps the surface dry, makes mowing up to the edge easier and stays well within the height that generally avoids planning permission.
Long gardens behind Front Street
The houses along Front Street often have long, narrow gardens running back toward the fields. In these, a patio across the full width by the house, with a path down the length of the garden, makes the space usable in all weathers. A second sitting area at the far end can catch the evening sun and look out over the farmland. On clay, a firm path base matters as much as the patio's, otherwise slabs on a path can rock and sink.
Things that change the price
- Drainage. Channel drains and outlets on clay.
- Size. Long gardens and wide terraces.
- Clay. A deeper compacted base.
- Removal. Lifting old slabs or concrete.
- Material. Sandstone, porcelain or block paving.
- Paths. Linking the patio to the rest of the garden.
Other villages near Appleton Wiske
- Patios in Great Smeaton: West: a village on the old Great North Road.
- Patios in Brompton: South: a former linen village by Northallerton.
- Patios in Osmotherley: South-east: a stone village in the Hambleton Hills.
Patios that suit Appleton Wiske: sandstone & limestone, porcelain patios, block patios.
Everywhere we cover: See all towns and villages.
Patio FAQs: Appleton Wiske
Our lawn stays wet. Will a patio help?
It can, if it has a proper fall and a drain. We plan where the water goes.
Will a soakaway work here?
Rarely. Clay drains slowly, so a drain to a suitable outlet is better.
Is Appleton Wiske a conservation area?
No. Listed buildings need care, but most back-garden patios need no permission.
What paving suits wet clay?
Porcelain, which does not absorb water, or sandstone with a good fall.
How deep is the base on clay?
It depends on the ground. We dig until we reach firm clay and build up a compacted stone sub-base from there.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Morton-on-Swale & Appleton Wiske ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Appleton Wiske; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.