Charcoal block paving driveway

A patchy front garden of gravel, grass and old paving was dug out and rebuilt as a full-width charcoal block paving driveway in herringbone pattern, on a new compacted sub-base with a kerbed edge.

Block Driveways

Completed: November 2026
Surface: Charcoal concrete block paving
Pattern: 45° and 90° herringbone with a double border
Photographed over: 9 days, first dig to finish

Before & after

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Finished charcoal block paving driveway laid in herringbone pattern in front of a detached house with sage green garage doors — Before: a tired mix of gravel, grass and old paving. After: a full-width charcoal herringbone driveway.

Front garden before a new block paving driveway, with patchy gravel, old paving and a mini digger ready to start — Before: a tired mix of gravel, grass and old paving. After: a full-width charcoal herringbone driveway.

The story

Step by step

01Before

Before

The front of the house had a narrow block path, a strip of old concrete and a worn mix of gravel and grass. It offered parking for one car at best.

02In progress

Excavation

The whole area was dug out with a mini digger to a consistent depth, removing turf, topsoil and the old surfacing so the new driveway would sit on firm ground.

03In progress

Sub-base

Hardcore was spread across the full footprint and compacted. This layer carries the weight of vehicles, so it is what stops a driveway sinking or rutting later.

04In progress

Edges and border

A concrete kerb was set along the footpath and the charcoal border course bedded in concrete around the perimeter. Edge restraints stop the paving spreading under load.

First rows of charcoal block paving laid beside a garage, with bulk bags of aggregate on the sub-base behind — The first blocks go down along the garage.

05In progress

First blocks

Laying started against the garage on a screeded bed of sharp sand, keeping the lines square to the house.

Charcoal block paving being laid in a herringbone pattern on screeded sharp sand, with cut-in gaps left along the border — Herringbone laying on a screeded sand bed, cuts still to do.

06In progress

Herringbone laying

The field was laid in a herringbone pattern, which locks the blocks together and resists the turning forces of car tyres. Gaps along the border were left for cut blocks.

07After