Services used
Landscape Design, Hard Landscaping, Limestone Paving, Setts, Steps, Copper, Pergola, Metal edging, Water features, Planting
Project
Limestone, Slate and Copper: A Country Garden Near Okehampton
Duration
28 Weeks
Location
Okehampton, Devon
This large garden build near Okehampton transformed the grounds of a new-build home into a series of connected spaces for entertaining, relaxing and enjoying the surrounding countryside. At its centre is a bespoke limestone moongate set into natural slate walling. Terraces, water features, a fire-pit garden and a long arched walkway give the property its own character, while lawns and wildflower meadows help it settle into the rural landscape.
The brief
The clients wanted a distinctive garden that made use of materials and features they already owned. An unfinished terrace needed to become a generous space for dining and entertaining. The design also had to include a separate fire-pit seating area, an upper terrace accessible by mobility scooter, a pergola, water features and smaller garden spaces linked by paths.
One unusual request was to reuse the steel hoops from an old Nissen hut as an arched walkway. An existing copper water feature and areas of paving were also to be incorporated into the new garden.
The site brought practical challenges. Heavy clay soil, a steep boundary bank and underground drainage and ground-source heat-pump pipework all had to be accommodated. The nine-month build ran through an exceptionally wet winter, so we erected a 120m² temporary scaffold roof over part of the site to keep construction moving.
A garden designed around its views
We began with the view from the main doors of the house. The limestone moongate sits on this sightline, framing a view through the garden and establishing an axis for the terraces and a stainless-steel water blade.
Existing paving was incorporated into the enlarged main terrace and reused on a central terrace. Raised timber planters bring greenery into these living areas and break up the broad areas of paving.
Further from the house, the layout becomes softer. Winding gravel paths lead through planting to a bespoke timber pergola and a curved seating area. Upright timber sleepers add structure and are set at a slight angle to help break up the prevailing wind.
Natural stone and bespoke features
A substantial natural slate wall complements the stone cladding on the house and anchors the new landscape. The bespoke limestone moongate is integrated into this wall, creating the garden’s main focal point.
For the fire-pit garden, we designed and built a hardwood bench in-house to make a sheltered, sociable place to sit. Steps link it to the upper terrace, with a separate ramp providing mobility-scooter access between levels.
We repaired the clients’ damaged copper water feature and gave it a garden space of its own. Two concentric rings of granite setts, with clover growing between them, provide a simple setting for the restored piece.
The Nissen-hut hoops became a long sculptural walkway. We dismantled and straightened the sections where possible, welded them back together and added 20mm lateral steel bars to support climbing plants. A black finish gives the reused structure a unified appearance.
Planting, lawns and the approach to the house
The planting scheme reflects the clients’ preferences for colour, form and seasonal interest while responding to the heavy soil. Native mixed hedging and hornbeam provide structure and shelter. Multi-stem and specimen Amelanchier add spring blossom, height and autumn colour. Perennials bring stronger drifts of colour near the terraces and a softer feel along the informal paths. More than 1,000 bulbs extend the display from early in the year.
Formal lawns at the front and rear of the property lead towards two wildflower meadows, helping the garden transition into the countryside. At the front, we replaced the muddy construction entrance with a generous gravel driveway using stabilisation trays and metal edging. It provides practical parking and turning space alongside a more welcoming arrival.
A restrained In-Lite lighting scheme picks out routes and selected features across the driveway and garden after dark.
The finished garden
The completed landscape offers open terraces for gathering and quieter places to sit by the fire, beneath the pergola or among the planting. As the garden matures, its trees and perennials will further soften the stone and timber and give each space a stronger identity.
The moongate, restored copper water feature and repurposed Nissen-hut walkway make this Okehampton garden specific to its owners. Together with the natural stone walling, accessible routes and new driveway, they turn a challenging new-build site into a practical country garden with a strong sense of place.
Connecting Spaces and Nature
Can a New Garden Include Pieces We Already Own?
Yes. A sculpture, bench, old planter or other treasured object can become one of the most meaningful parts of a new garden. It may recall a person, a place or years spent in an earlier garden. Keeping it gives the new space a connection to that history, rather than asking you to leave everything familiar behind.
The first step is to look at the piece honestly. Does it need repair? Will it withstand the weather? Is it the right size for the proposed space? Then we can design its setting: perhaps a view from the house, a place to pause along a path, or planting that helps it belong without hiding it.
In this garden, the clients’ damaged copper feature was repaired and given a space of its own. Two rings of granite setts, with clover between them, provide a simple setting. That same thinking could give a favourite sculpture or inherited seat a natural place in a new design—one that feels personal to you from the start.
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