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Landscaping in Wandsworth

What the extension
left behind.

Wandsworth has extended more Victorian terraces than almost anywhere in London. The garden that remains is shorter, more visible and more used than the one the house was built with.

Building in Wandsworth

What we work with here

01

Victorian terraces, and the rear extension effect

The streets between Clapham and Wandsworth Commons, along with Balham, Earlsfield and Tooting, are consistent late-Victorian terrace — and an exceptional proportion have been extended to the rear and into the side return, with a loft above. That has two consequences for the garden. It is shorter than it was, sometimes markedly so. And it is now framed by a wall of glazing, seen from the kitchen table every day, in a way a Victorian back door never framed it. Putney and Battersea add riverside apartments with terraces and balconies, and larger houses towards the heath.

02

Clay, thresholds and where the water goes

The borough sits on London Clay, with river terrace gravels and alluvium towards the Thames. The technical crux in most Wandsworth gardens is the threshold. A flush transition from bifold doors to terrace requires the paving to sit just below internal floor level while still falling away from the building, which only works with a linear channel drain across the opening connected to a soakaway or surface water drain. Meanwhile the extension has covered ground that used to absorb rain, so the remaining garden is handling more water than before — which makes drainage design, not slab choice, the decision that determines whether it works.

03

Access through the house, and neighbours on both sides

A full-width rear extension usually removes whatever side access existed, so materials and spoil go through the house. Skips need a council permit and, in the controlled parking zones that cover most of the borough, a bay suspension as well. Boundary walls and fences are shared on both sides, and rebuilding one that sits on the line brings the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 into play with notice to the adjoining owner. None of this is unusual for the area — it simply has a lead time, which is why we settle it at survey rather than in week one.

Our services in Wandsworth

What we build in Wandsworth

Garden Design

Bespoke garden planning, planting schemes, and 3D visuals.

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Porcelain Paving

Modern, stain-resistant paving solutions for contemporary gardens.

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Natural Stone Driveways

Elegant Yorkstone, Limestone, and Sandstone installations.

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Decking & Seating

Custom composite or hardwood decking with built-in features.

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Retaining Walls & Fencing

Structural walls and privacy fencing for defined garden spaces.

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Jet Washing & Rejuvenation

Restore old patios and driveways to look brand new.

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Questions we get asked

Wandsworth, specifically

Our garden is much shorter since the extension. What can we do with it?
Design it as an outdoor room rather than a shrunken garden. A short, wide space suits one generous terrace running the full width, planting held tight to the boundaries so it softens without taking floor area, and a single strong vertical — a multi-stem tree, a pergola, a screen — to stop the eye stopping dead on the back fence. Built-in seating along an edge keeps the middle clear and adds usable space rather than furniture.
How do you get level access from bifold doors without damp?
A channel drain and a proper fall do it. The terrace sits fractionally below the internal floor, slopes away from the house, and a linear drain runs the full width of the opening into a soakaway or surface water drain. That combination gives a genuinely flush look with nowhere for water to sit. Paving laid dead level up to the frame with no drainage is the single most common cause of damp at the back wall.
Does a rear extension change how the garden drains?
Yes, and it is often overlooked. The extension has covered ground that previously soaked up rainfall, and its roof now discharges into the same system, so the remaining garden deals with more water than it was ever designed for. Adding a large paved terrace on top of that without a soakaway sized for the new area is how you end up with standing water. The drainage is designed first and the surface chosen afterwards.
Coverage

Areas we cover in Wandsworth

  • Battersea
  • Balham
  • Putney
  • Tooting
  • Earlsfield
  • Between the Commons

Postcode districts: SW11 · SW12 · SW15 · SW17 · SW18

All 32 London boroughs

Get a free quote in Wandsworth.

Tell us about the site and we will arrange a survey. Written, no-obligation quotes for anywhere in Wandsworth.

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