The village
Great Smeaton's name is first recorded between 966 and 972, and comes from Old English words meaning "smiths' estate". The "Great" was added by 1231 to tell it apart from neighbouring Little Smeaton. The village is listed in the Domesday Book. Standing on the old Great North Road between London and Edinburgh, it was an important coaching stage with four inns, of which the Black Bull remains. Many armies passed through over the centuries, and Anne of Denmark dined here in June 1603. The parish had just 187 people at the 2011 Census.
The village is a single street of brick houses and cottages along the A167, with the Church of St Eloy, the Old Rectory and Smeaton Manor among its older buildings. It lies 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 tend to be long, running back from the road toward farmland, and some homes are converted farm buildings with large yards. Common requests are a terrace at the back of the house, away from the road, a yard turned into a sitting area and paths through a big garden.
Clay on raised ground
The British Geological Survey maps glacial till here, a stony clay, over Sherwood Sandstone. Till drains slowly, so a patio needs a properly compacted base. We dig out topsoil and soft clay, lay a geotextile, compact a crushed-stone sub-base and bed slabs on mortar, at least 150 mm below the damp-proof course with a fall away from the house. Water is usually taken to a drain, a channel at the patio's edge or a soakaway where the ground allows.
Standing on raised ground, the village has few surface water problems: the Environment Agency marks only a handful of low spots within 500 metres. A small area of Flood Zone 3 lies within 750 metres on low ground toward the Wiske.
Village heritage
The Great Smeaton Conservation Area covers the historic village. Around nine buildings and structures are listed, including the Church of St Eloy and two table tombs in its churchyard, East House, Phoenix House, Smeaton Manor, The Old Rectory and an old milepost by the church. A ground-level back-garden patio is usually permitted development, but listed buildings, front gardens and walls need care. Front gardens along the main road are part of the street scene, so we suggest materials that suit it.
Choosing a patio
Warm sandstone or buff limestone sits well against the village's brick. Riven stone gives a traditional look; sawn stone a cleaner one, which suits converted farm buildings with modern glazing. Porcelain is a practical option for families wanting an easy-clean surface. Block paving or setts work in yards that also take vehicles or bins.
Sheltered from the road
Because the village lines a busy road, many owners want a patio that feels private and quiet. Placing it at the back of the house, with a wall, hedge or outbuilding between it and the road, helps. In long gardens, a second seating area at the far end can look out over the fields and away from the traffic.
Old yards and farm buildings
Where a home has a former farmyard or outbuildings, as many rural properties along the old road do, the yard often has old concrete surfaces that slope toward the buildings. Breaking out the concrete, regrading the yard so water runs away from the walls, and laying a new patio or setts transforms the space. Where vehicles still need to reach a garage or barn, setts or block paving on a deeper base cope with the load, while a stone terrace by the house gives a place to sit.
Things that change the price
- Size. Long gardens and large yards.
- Clay. A compacted stone base.
- Drainage. Channels or soakaways on till.
- Material. Sandstone, limestone, porcelain or block paving.
- Paths. Linking areas in a long garden.
- Setting. Materials that suit the conservation area.
Other villages near Great Smeaton
- Patios in Appleton Wiske: East: a village beside the River Wiske.
- Patios in Brompton: South: a former linen village by Northallerton.
- Patios in Ainderby Steeple: South-west: a village on sandy ground on the A684.
Patios that suit Great Smeaton: sandstone & limestone, porcelain patios, block patios.
Everywhere we cover: See all towns and villages.
Patio FAQs: Great Smeaton
Our house faces the A167. Where should the patio go?
Usually at the back, sheltered by the house or a wall, away from the traffic.
Is Great Smeaton a conservation area?
Yes. A ground-level back-garden patio usually needs no permission.
What suits a converted barn?
Sawn sandstone or porcelain, which suit modern glazing and old brick.
Will water collect on clay?
Not if the patio has a proper fall to a drain or soakaway.
Can a patio and a parking area share one yard?
Yes. We lay a deeper base under the parts that take vehicles and use setts or blocks there, with a stone terrace by the house.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Morton-on-Swale & Appleton Wiske ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Great Smeaton; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.