Marske's houses and gardens
The name Marske comes from the Old English "mersc", a marsh, and the village is old: the church of St Germain, whose tower still stands on the cliff top, was consecrated in the mid 11th century. Later chapters include a Royal Flying Corps airfield in 1917, where W. E. Johns, the author of the Biggles books, was an instructor, and a brass band founded in 1875.
Most of the homes, though, are much newer than the High Street. The St Germain's ward, which covers the bulk of the village, is one of the most semi-detached places in the borough: the 2021 Census puts semis at 67.0% of homes, detached houses at 14.5% and terraces at 10.6%. Estates of post-war and later semis fill the land between the old village and the railway.
A typical Marske garden is a rectangle behind a semi, with a side drive and a lawn. Older owners often have a small slab patio laid when the house was built; newer owners tend to want something wider and cleaner, sometimes with a low wall separating patio from lawn. The older cottages on the High Street and Church Street are different: walled yards, stone or brick boundaries and often tighter access.
Side drives on many Marske semis mean materials can be barrowed straight to the back garden, which keeps the house clean and the work quick. Where a garage or side extension has been added, we plan for hand-carrying through a narrower route instead.
Clay, coast and rain
The British Geological Survey records glacial till over Redcar Mudstone under Marske. Till here is a firm, stony clay, and clay holds water. Patios built on a thin bed of sand over clay are the ones that sink and rock after a few winters.
We start by digging out topsoil and any soft clay, then lay a geotextile and a compacted crushed-stone sub-base. The finished patio falls away from the house, and where a garden is flat we take the run-off to a gully, channel drain or a soakaway in a border. Sea air carries salt even a few streets back from the front, so we steer clients toward stone and fixings that cope with it.
The Environment Agency maps Flood Zone 3 within 750 metres of central Marske, around the low ground of the becks, and surface water mapping shows many low points across the village. Gardens that already pond after heavy rain are worth a drainage plan as part of the patio.
The Marske conservation area
Marske-by-the-Sea has a conservation area covering the historic village, and 28 listed buildings and structures, many on the High Street, plus Cliff House, the Church of St Mark, a dovecote and the garden walls and gazebo of Marske Hall.
In a conservation area, a patio at ground level in a rear garden is normally still permitted development. Work at the front is the part to check: new hard surfacing over five square metres must be permeable or drain to a soft area, and changing front walls or railings can need consent. For a listed building, ask the council before changing anything that affects its setting. We point out anything that needs checking when we visit.
What changes the price
Every quote follows a visit. In Marske the factors that matter most are:
- Size. Many semis suit a patio the full width of the house.
- Clay. Soft spots need digging out and replacing with stone.
- Drainage. Flat gardens may need a gully or soakaway.
- Walls and steps. A low wall or step between patio and lawn.
- Material. Sandstone, porcelain and concrete slabs differ.
- Removal. Lifting old slabs and their bedding.
Places next to Marske-by-the-Sea
- New Marske patio page: Inland, about a mile south-west: miners' terraces and newer detached homes.
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea patio page: East along the cliffs: a Victorian resort town.
- Coatham patio page: West: Redcar's older terraces near the sands.
Pages Marske owners often read: indian sandstone patios, porcelain patios, garden walls.
All places we cover: areas page.
Asked about patios in Marske-by-the-Sea
Do I need permission for a patio inside the Marske conservation area?
Usually not for a ground-level patio at the back of the house. Front garden paving, boundary walls and listed homes are where checks are needed.
Which stone looks right with older Marske brick?
Warm riven sandstone and buff slabs both sit well against red brick. Porcelain gives a cleaner, modern look. We bring samples so you can compare.
Why has the old patio behind our semi sunk?
Usually because it was laid on sand over clay without a stone sub-base. Water softens the clay and the slabs drop. A proper base solves it.
Does being near the sea affect the patio?
Salt in the air can mark some natural stone and rust cheap fixings over time. We choose materials with that in mind.
Sources: ONS Census 2021 TS044, St Germain's ward (Nomis); Wikipedia: Marske-by-the-Sea; Planning Data: conservation areas; Planning Data: listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer; Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning.