A stone village
Follifoot's name comes from Old Norse and is usually translated as "place of the horse fight", and the village has a long link with horses. It does not appear in the Domesday Book; the earliest known record is Pholifet in the 12th century. An Anglian cross stands at the crossroads at the top of the village, and the south gatehouse of the Rudding Park estate, with its gates and flanking walls, stands at the top of the village. In the 19th century the village supported flax working, tanning, joiners, a wheelwright and blacksmiths.
The houses are mostly stone, with cottages along Main Street and larger properties on the lanes. Follifoot sits in the large rural Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale and Tockwith ward, where the 2021 Census records 53.1% detached homes, 29.9% semi-detached, 12.3% terraced and only 1.2% flats.
Gardens in the village centre tend to be walled and sometimes on two levels, with cottages close to the road and the garden behind. Houses on the edges have larger, more open plots that look over fields. Owners usually want a terrace that looks as if it has always been there: natural stone, soft colours and planting spilling over the edges.
Ground and drainage
The British Geological Survey maps the Harrogate Till, a gravelly sandy clay, over Millstone Grit. Till is firm when compacted but holds water when wet, so we always build a proper base: topsoil and soft clay out, a geotextile where needed, and a compacted crushed-stone sub-base under fully bedded slabs.
Follifoot is relatively free of flood risk. The Environment Agency shows no river flood zone within 750 metres, and only a handful of surface water low spots within 500 metres, far fewer than in Harrogate's suburbs. Even so, every patio falls gently away from the house, and in walled gardens we make sure water has somewhere to go, whether a border, a soakaway or a drain.
Stone that suits the village
Riven Yorkstone or buff sandstone suits Follifoot's cottages best. Reclaimed flags, with their worn edges and varied colour, are worth considering for the oldest houses. On larger modern homes, sawn sandstone gives a cleaner look while still sitting comfortably with stone walls. We bring samples so you can see them next to your house.
Garden walls are part of the village's character. Where a new patio meets an old wall, we keep the patio clear of the wall's footings and allow for any lean, rather than cutting into it.
Conservation area and listed buildings
The Follifoot Conservation Area covers the historic village. Around ten listed buildings and structures are nearby, including the Saxon cross, the Rudding Gates and flanking walls, the Church of St Joseph and St James, Hilltop House, Hunters Lodge, Park Croft, Park Side and the K6 telephone kiosk by the cross. A ground-level back-garden patio is normally permitted development, but listed buildings, front gardens, walls and trees in the conservation area need care, and some works need consent.
Making the most of a village garden
Follifoot gardens are often enjoyed for their quiet and their views over the surrounding farmland and the Rudding Park estate. We position patios to take advantage of that, sometimes away from the house where a cottage garden opens out, with a path of stepping stones or gravel linking it to the back door. Gravel paths are permeable, cheap to maintain and sit well in a village setting.
Seating areas often benefit from a wall or hedge behind them for shelter. Where a garden has an old wall facing the sun, a terrace in front of it makes a warm spot to sit in spring and autumn. Planting can be allowed to soften the edges of the paving, which suits the village better than crisp, formal lines. For larger modern houses on the lanes, a broader terrace outside living-room doors with a step to the lawn works well.
Pricing a Follifoot patio
- Material. Yorkstone, reclaimed flags or sandstone.
- Walls. Working beside or repairing old stone walls.
- Levels. Steps in two-level cottage gardens.
- Size. Larger plots on the edges of the village.
- Access. Cottages close to the road may have tight access.
- Ground. Till that needs a firm base.
More places near Follifoot
- Patio design in Spofforth: South-east: a village on the Crimple Beck with a ruined castle.
- Patio design in Pannal: West: a village in the Crimple valley.
- Patio design in Knaresborough: North-east: a market town on the Nidd gorge.
Patios that suit Follifoot: yorkstone & sandstone, porcelain paving, block paved patios.
The full list of areas: All areas.
Patio FAQs for Follifoot
What stone looks right in Follifoot?
Riven Yorkstone or a warm buff sandstone. Reclaimed flags suit the oldest cottages.
Our cottage garden is on two levels. Can you join them?
Yes, with stone steps and, where needed, a low retaining wall in the same stone.
Is the village a conservation area?
Yes. A ground-level patio at the back usually doesn't need permission, but walls and trees need care.
Is flooding a concern in Follifoot?
Generally not, but we still build in a fall and plan where water drains.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale & Tockwith ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Follifoot; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.