Creating an old looking brick path

Sometimes it is important to blend in to the surroundings with any additions, or changes.

If you live in a rural setting, then you need to be careful about installing a feature that takes many years to blend in.

It is good to look carefully at what’s already in the garden, as any new material added, can easily look out of place and therefore, however long you have that feature, it will always look like an add on.

Some old brick paths may have been laid for many years and probably not concreted in at the time of installation.

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This is definitely a job you can do in the winter months.

Firstly, clearly mark out using rope and pegs, the dimensions of the path that you would like to create.  

Scrape off the old turf, if it is across a grassed area, and put the old turf upside down, at the back of an old border to rot down.

You now need to dig to 6 inches deep, and separate any good soil, to be re- used elsewhere in the garden.

When you have done this, then walk along the bottom,  raking as you go.

When you have done this, then a membrane can be laid onto which you will lay sand and bricks. The membrane will hopefully prevent weeds from growing through, engulfing the bricks.

However, not everyone wants the bricks to look clean, you may like the old rustic look and want to see some weeds coming through. If this is the case don’t lay the membrane.

If it is a path that you will walk on a lot, then you will find, that nature will tend to colonise and spread the lower growing species of weed. Walking the path regularly will help keep the weeds from growing too high.

Put the 3 to 4 inch layer of sand in and rake it out.

Using old bricks on their side, and can start to create your path, by pushing them into the sand, one by one, use a piece of wood and a lump hammer to help bed them into the right height, level with the surrounding ground.

If you are matching in with another brick then try to match the pattern to which it is laid.

It is important to lay the brick a bit below the hight of the lawn to make mowing easier.

As time goes by, some of the bricks may crumble, but this certainly adds to the feeling of age and will certainly add a new, aged dimension to your garden.    Good luck..

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