Brickwork, Landscaping & Driveways in Cambridge

Working with Cambridge brick

Much of Cambridge is built from pale gault clay brick, often called Cambridge whites or buffs, which weathers to a soft grey-yellow. A repair or new wall in the wrong brick stands out for decades. For work on Victorian and Edwardian houses in areas such as Romsey, Petersfield and Newnham, the brick, the bond and the mortar colour all need to be matched to what is already there, and older walls laid in lime mortar should be repointed in lime rather than hard cement.

Tight plots and conservation areas

Cambridge terraces often have no side access, narrow front gardens and residents’ parking outside. That affects how a job is planned: materials may need to come through the house or over a rear lane, and skips and deliveries may need a permit. We check access at the quote stage so the price reflects how the job will really run.

The city has a number of conservation areas, and in some of them extra controls apply to front boundary walls and paving. It is worth checking with Cambridge City Council before removing a front wall or paving a front garden.