Patios built in Romanby

The village

Romanby's name sounds Roman but comes from a Viking, Hromund. The village was recorded in the Domesday Book as belonging to King William. Its 13th-century chapel was pulled down in 1523 on the orders of Thomas Wolsey, then Bishop of Durham, after the vicar of Northallerton questioned his authority. St James' Church, now listed, was built in 1882. Before the railway, half a mile of pasture separated Romanby from Northallerton; the two have since grown together. County Hall, North Yorkshire Council's headquarters, stands in Romanby on the site of a former racecourse; its main building of 1904 to 1914 is listed Grade II*. The parish had 6,177 people at the 2011 Census.

The 2021 Census for the Romanby ward records 43.1% semi-detached homes, 42.2% detached, 9.3% terraced and 4.7% flats. Around The Green are older brick houses and cottages; most of the rest of the village is estates of family homes built as Romanby grew.

Gardens are generally a good size, with a lawn and side access. Owners often want a larger patio across the back of the house, a terrace outside new doors, or a two-level patio where the garden has a slight fall.

Soil and drainage

The British Geological Survey records the Vale of York Formation here, a gravelly sand, over Mercia Mudstone. Sandy ground drains well, which helps, but it needs proper compaction and firm edges, and the mudstone below can hold water where the sand is thin.

We dig to a firm level, 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. Run-off can often go to a border or soakaway; where clay shows up we add a drain.

Willow Beck runs through the village, past a listed packhorse bridge, and flows south to the River Wiske. The Environment Agency shows several areas of Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres, on the low ground along the beck, and its surface water map marks many low spots. Gardens near the beck need careful levels.

Village heritage

The Romanby Conservation Area, designated in 1987, covers the old village around The Green. Listed buildings in the village include the packhorse bridge over Willow Beck, St James' Church, County Hall and houses on The Green. A ground-level patio at the back of a house is usually permitted development, even in the conservation area. Listed buildings, front gardens and walls 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

For the older houses on The Green, a buff sandstone or limestone suits the brick. On the estates, porcelain is popular for its clean look and easy upkeep, and sawn sandstone is a good middle ground. Block paving works for paths and side passages. Where a garden falls gently, a two-level patio with a shallow step can be neater than one large sloping surface.

Family gardens

Many Romanby households want a patio that works for everyone: room for a table, a barbecue, and a route from the back door to the shed or bins. We usually suggest a terrace at least three metres deep across the house, with a path along one side. A second paved area at the end of the garden can catch the evening sun.

Gardens near County Hall and the golf course

Romanby's edges are open: the golf course lies toward Yafforth, and fields stretch south toward the Wiske. Gardens backing onto open ground can be windier and get more sun than those deeper in the estates. A low wall or hedge behind seating gives shelter, and paler paving stays cooler on a sunny terrace. Where a garden backs onto fields or the course, we also think about run-off from beyond the boundary, catching it with a channel drain or a gravel strip at the top of the patio so it doesn't cross the paving.

Things that change the price

• Size. Larger patios behind detached homes.
• Levels. Steps on gently sloping gardens.
• Ground. Sand compacted and edged; clay patches drained.
• Material. Sandstone, limestone, porcelain or block paving.
• Removal. Lifting old slabs or concrete.
• Drainage. Low gardens near Willow Beck.

Other villages near Romanby

• Patios in Yafforth: North-west: a small village by the River Wiske.
• Patios in Ainderby Steeple: South-west: a village on the A684 with a sandy subsoil.
• Patios in Brompton: North, beyond the town: a former linen village.

Patios that suit Romanby: sandstone & limestone, porcelain patios, block patios.

Everywhere we cover: See all towns and villages.

Patio FAQs: Romanby

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