Paving slabs for a Georgian town house

[Alexia Hanham]

Hi,

I have just joined this forum as I am about to start renovating our Grade II 1830's Georgian town house. We are lowering the external levels and installing a french drain to assist with the damp issues and will be laying new paving slabs. I wondered if anyone was able to tell me what style of paving would be appropriate for this age and style of house? Also, were particular patterns used during this period? The house is rendered and will be sage green in colour so I thought a slate type slab would look good. We are told we do not need LBC to do the works but want to make sure what we do is sympathetic to the house.

Many thanks in advance,

Lex

 

[DJH]

Hi Lex and welcome. York stone I suppose...how deep are your pockets?

Doug

 

[Penners]

Welcome to the forum, Alexia.

I'm no kind of authority on Georgian stuff. While I don't disagree with Doug's suggestion of York Stone, I suspect that the choice of stone might have been somewhat influenced by the "quality" of the house and the type of stone in the local area. A high-status homeowner would have been able to import their choice of stone from anywhere in the country, but a rather less wealthy individual might well have selected a local stone to keep costs down.

For information on all things relating to Georgian buildings, the Georgian Group is a useful organisation: http://www.georgiangroup.org.uk/docs/home/index.php

PS: Is/was there anyone in your family called Ron Hanham? He'd probably now be quite elderly.

 

[Alexia Hanham]

Hi Doug & Penners,

Thanks for the welcome and also your advice. I will take a look into the York Stone. This isn't our 'forever home' so I am trying to be sensible with the budget!

No Ron Hanham that I know of Penners!

 

[Penners]

OK Alexia - he was just someone I used to work with in the 1970s. It was a long shot!

 

[plasticpigeon]

If a Georgian townhouse isn't a forever home, what kind of mansion do you aspire to?

 

[Penners]

There's nothing wrong with ambition. :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

My house was built shortly before 1830 and Mr Hall had materials brought in. The Derbyshire fossil fireplaces were mined on the Chatsworth estate and the Swithland slate roof came from Leicestershire. The flagstones are a honey limestone mined in Ancaster just 4 miles away. There are no exterior flagstones but I have found evidence of old gravel paths. Local brick was also used abundantly. 100 yrs later in around 1920 York stone was brought as a remedy against damp and a plinth created all around the base.

My point is that they took the materials they liked and could afford which weren't always necessarily on the doorstop. So now I don't really have a problem, myself, in using York stone or even Italian marbles if I could afford them - I mean for the bathroom and York stone for paving - not altering the original fabric.

As for patterns, they liked more complex patterns than seem to be laid nowadays -diamond - or squares but using those little tiny squares between. I'd have a good look round the county you're in and see if you can find any old paved areas for inspiration.

 

[Penners]

I don't really have a problem, myself, in using ...Italian marbles if I could afford them ... for the bathroom

Italian marble can indeed brighten up an otherwise dull bathroom.

 

[LadyArowana]

I would not recommend polished marble on the floor of a bathroom. Damp marble + Bare feet + a sudden turn = Hospital + Titanium Plate It's lovely on walls or in a living room with carpets, or even outside where it's allowed to get scuffed up and a bit eroded, but for somewhere that can get wet but is kept with a shiny finish it will result in accidents.

 

[Alexia Hanham]

Thanks JoceandChris that's really helpful. It gives me some comfort that I can't go too wrong!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Warning taken!

Love that bathroom Mr P, is that one you made for Mrs P?

 

[Penners]

Love that bathroom Mr P, is that one you made for Mrs P?

A small corner of it, Joce.

 

[Moo]

Re the original question - we were in exactly the same situation with our Georgian town house in Norwich.
We didn't put in a french drain, just a covered gulley connected to the rainwater drain, and because funds were limited we couldn't afford our first choice of proper stone slabs. So we used concrete ones - they were casts of the real thing, and as a result were most convincing. We had them laid straight on the earth, with wide ungrouted joins.
I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the firm that made them but I'm sure they, or something similar, are still available.

BTW, rearranging the way the ground sloped, and installing the gulley, completely solved the damp problem.

 

[Alexia Hanham]

Moo - I am very happy to hear that the works you carried out solved the damp issues. I am keeping everything crossed!