Gravel Driveways in Wavendon

Gravel has long been part of the character of the older parts of Wavendon, where cottages and larger houses sit back from the road behind hedges and trees. Many of these homes already have gravel drives. Over the years the stone thins, the base breaks up and potholes appear, but that does not mean gravel has to go. In many cases the best answer is to renew it properly rather than switch to another surface.

A worn gravel drive usually has the same problems: puddles in the wheel tracks, ridges of loose stone at the sides, weeds through the middle and mud where the base has mixed with the soil. These are signs that the sub-base has failed, not that gravel was the wrong choice.

Rebuilding it properly. We scrape off the old stone, dig out any soft or contaminated material and rebuild the base with compacted crushed stone to a depth suited to the length of the drive and the vehicles using it. A membrane goes down to separate the base from the gravel, and grids can be added along the main wheel line and at the entrance where most wear happens. On long lane drives, we also look at the camber, so rain runs off to the sides rather than collecting in the middle.

Gravel is naturally permeable, which suits rural and edge of village drives where there is no easy connection to a drain. For most homes this means the drive meets the front garden rules applied by Milton Keynes City Council without extra drainage. If your house is listed or within a protected setting, check with the council before changing the materials or layout.

Newer homes on the edge of Wavendon can suit gravel too, particularly where a softer, more rural look is wanted than the paving supplied with the house.