Pannal's houses
Pannal grew up in the middle of the old Forest of Knaresborough. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Rosert, from the Old English for "horse wood", a name that lives on in Rossett Green to the north. The name Pannal itself is first recorded in 1170 and probably means a nook of land in a pan-shaped valley, or a hollow where water stands. By the early 14th century it was a thriving market village with weekly markets and an annual fair. Since 2016 it has been part of the civil parish of Pannal and Burn Bridge.
The old centre on Main Street has stone houses, several of them listed, along with the Church of St Robert of Knaresborough, which is Grade II*. Around it are later detached houses and quieter cul-de-sacs, with Walton Park and the roads off Leeds Road toward Harrogate. The Oatlands and Pannal ward is one of the most detached in the district: 54.0% of homes in the 2021 Census are detached, 23.9% semi-detached, 16.0% terraced and 3.9% flats.
Gardens are often generous, and many owners want a large terrace with room to dine, sometimes with a second paved area at the end of the garden or steps down to a lower lawn.
Ground and the Crimple Beck
The British Geological Survey records the Harrogate Till, a gravelly sandy clay, over Millstone Grit mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Till holds water after rain, and the valley floor near the beck is softer and wetter than the higher ground.
We dig out topsoil and soft clay, add a geotextile where needed and build a compacted crushed-stone sub-base. Slabs are fully bedded below the damp-proof course with a fall away from the house. Lower gardens may need a channel drain or a planned outlet so water does not collect on the patio.
The Crimple Beck runs through the village, and the Environment Agency shows several areas of Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres, on the low ground beside it. If your garden runs down toward the beck, we will look carefully at levels before suggesting a layout.
Building on a slope
Valley gardens often fall away from the house or across the plot. Rather than raise a patio high on one side, we usually cut it into the slope and step down with stone steps and a low retaining wall. That keeps the terrace below the 300 mm height that generally needs planning permission and makes the garden easier to use.
Conservation area and listed buildings
The Pannal Conservation Area covers the old village. Around eight listed buildings and structures are nearby, including houses on Main Street, the Church of St Robert of Knaresborough, Spacey Houses Farm and a boundary stone of the former Knaresborough Forest. A ground-level back-garden patio is normally permitted development, but listed properties, front gardens and walls need more thought, and natural stone suits the old village best.
Big gardens, more than one patio
With so many detached houses, Pannal gardens often have room for more than one paved area. A dining terrace by the kitchen can be paired with a smaller sitting area elsewhere, perhaps at the far end of the garden or wherever the evening sun lasts longest. Linking them with a stone or gravel path makes the garden easier to use in all weathers.
Large patios also need more thought about proportion. A terrace that runs the full width of a big detached house can look stark if it is all one colour and size, so we often mix slab sizes or add a border in a contrasting stone or sett. Planting beds set into the paving or along its edges break up a large area and help rainwater soak in. For houses near the old village, a mellow, varied stone sits better than a uniform, bright one.
Price factors in Pannal
- Size. Large gardens often take bigger terraces.
- Slope. Steps and retaining walls toward the beck.
- Ground. Soft till near the valley floor.
- Drainage. Outlets for lower gardens.
- Material. Yorkstone, sandstone or porcelain.
- Setting. Stone that suits the conservation area.
More places near Pannal
- Patio design in Follifoot: East: a stone village by the Rudding Park estate.
- Patio design in Spofforth: South-east, down the Crimple: a village with a ruined castle.
- Patio design in Killinghall: North, beyond the town: a commuter village on the A61.
Patio types for Pannal gardens: yorkstone & sandstone, porcelain paving, block paved patios.
The full list of areas: All areas.
Patio FAQs for Pannal
Our garden slopes down to the beck. What do you suggest?
Usually a level terrace near the house and steps down, with a low wall to hold the change in level.
Which stone suits Main Street houses?
Riven Yorkstone or a buff sandstone, to sit with the old gritstone.
Will the patio flood?
We set falls and drainage so rain runs off. Gardens right by the beck need extra care with levels.
Is Pannal a conservation area?
The old village is. Most back-garden patios still don't need permission.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, Oatlands & Pannal ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Pannal; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.