I've just moved to a house with an impossibly steep back garden.
There's great potential there, it drops down - sheer from the first
level to the next - in a series of terraces to a stream, has a
fantastic view & is sheltered but not shaded to the east & north.
There's one solid retaining wall about 10 feet high between the two
top levels & lower down we've unearthed, ( literally !)some lower
walls, all nice old stone ones. The garden hasn't been touched for at
least 50 years,possibly double that, except for the building of the
very high wall. The major problem is building steps down from the top
level to the next.I don't have a clue how to go about it.
There are lots of old stone paving slabs & a lot of walling stones,
one very strong & enthusiastic labourer, & me. & almost no money. This
garden could be so fantastic & once the steps are done I can really
get going on it.
Does anyone else have a garden like this that they've conquered ?
Most people with similar gardens nearby have given up, & mine is even
steeper than the others.
alicia

In article , alice
writes
I've just moved to a house with an impossibly steep back garden.
There's great potential there, it drops down - sheer from the first
level to the next - in a series of terraces to a stream, has a
fantastic view & is sheltered but not shaded to the east & north.
There's one solid retaining wall about 10 feet high between the two
top levels & lower down we've unearthed, ( literally !)some lower
walls, all nice old stone ones. The garden hasn't been touched for at
least 50 years,possibly double that, except for the building of the
very high wall. The major problem is building steps down from the top
level to the next.I don't have a clue how to go about it.
There are lots of old stone paving slabs & a lot of walling stones,
one very strong & enthusiastic labourer, & me. & almost no money. This
garden could be so fantastic & once the steps are done I can really
get going on it.
Does anyone else have a garden like this that they've conquered ?
Most people with similar gardens nearby have given up, & mine is even
steeper than the others.
alicia

We had a steep garden but not that steep.

However, I had to do some work on a house with just your problem. The
builder doing the work there, (my next door neighbour) solved the
problem with a slope. Can yo do the same?

He had to excavate for some footings at the house. This deep drop ran
straight across the bottom of the garden. All the excavations were
tipped over the wall on the right hand side till it was level with the
top of the wall, he then moved left and tipped, but didn't bring the
level so high, then moved left again and so on.

He then started at the right side and made a slope, straight under the
wall, right to left. I suppose the width of the slope was about 10ft,
just wide enough for a couple of people to walk side by side and ample
enough for wheelbarrows.

Any use? Do you have sufficient material to do that? Could you offer a
'Free tip for hard-core' service if you don't?

Think of it as a challenge and say to yourself, 'This garden has
capabilities' ;-}

My 2 pennyworth :-)

Mike

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In article , alice
writes
I've just moved to a house with an impossibly steep back garden.
There's great potential there, it drops down - sheer from the first
level to the next - in a series of terraces to a stream, has a
fantastic view & is sheltered but not shaded to the east & north.
There's one solid retaining wall about 10 feet high between the two
top levels & lower down we've unearthed, ( literally !)some lower
walls, all nice old stone ones. The garden hasn't been touched for at
least 50 years,possibly double that, except for the building of the
very high wall. The major problem is building steps down from the top
level to the next.I don't have a clue how to go about it.

Have a look at www.pavingexpert.com


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Thanks Mike, I'm trying to avoid going parallel to the wall if I can,
partly because the second terrace isn't very deep back to front & I
want all the garden space I can get, & also because if I go straight
down there's already an existing boundary wall that will be support at
one side of the steps. ( that goes down in a series of sharply angled
"steps".) It's the actual construction of the steps I'm stuck on. I
can't do what I've done in the past in gardens with ordinary steep
bits, which was to just dig in at an angle & wedge big blocks of stone
in. We have started on a slope, a sort of mini-hill, where the steps
are going to be. It's hard to describe what I mean, it's such a quaint
space. Access at the moment is via a few wobbly stones at the top of a
neighbours garden then a drop & hang onto a tree trunk & slither the
rest of the way.
Alicia

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , alice
writes
I've just moved to a house with an impossibly steep back garden.
There's great potential there, it drops down - sheer from the
first
level to the next - in a series of terraces to a stream, has a
fantastic view & is sheltered but not shaded to the east & north.
There's one solid retaining wall about 10 feet high between the
two
top levels & lower down we've unearthed, ( literally !)some lower
walls, all nice old stone ones. The garden hasn't been touched for
at
least 50 years,possibly double that, except for the building of the
very high wall. The major problem is building steps down from the
top
level to the next.I don't have a clue how to go about it.

Have a look at www.pavingexpert.com
Kay Easton

And :
Seriously Steep Garden http://www.taubman.org.uk/garden/
Steps :
http://www.bestgardening.com/bgc/des...icssteps01.htm
Steep garden : http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/plummer1/macd.htm
Pfff, you think yours is steep !! :
http://www.rodsmith.co.uk/hmf1.html

HTH Jenny

Kay Easton wrote in message ...
In article , alice
writes
I've just moved to a house with an impossibly steep back garden.

Have a look at www.pavingexpert.com

That is really excellent. Very clear & informative, it's going to be
easier than I thought...... truly, I think it is.
Thanks, Alicia

"alice" wrote in message om...
Access at the moment is via a few wobbly stones at the top of a neighbours garden then a drop & hang onto a tree
trunk& slither the rest of the way.

I think you could feature that;~)))

Rod

"Rod" wrote in message ...
"alice" wrote in message om...
Access at the moment is via a few wobbly stones at the top of a neighbours garden then a drop & hang onto a tree
trunk& slither the rest of the way.

I think you could feature that;~)))

Rod

What? - the tree, or me slithering down? climbing back up is even funnier.
alicia

"alice" wrote in message I think you could
feature that;~)))

Rod

What? - the tree, or me slithering down? climbing back up is even
funnier.
alicia

All of the above would be best I think;~))))

Rod