The owners of this corner-plot bungalow in Rochester had a block-paved driveway that flooded whenever it rained. We dug the whole frontage out, installed two new soakaways, built new brick boundary walls and piers, and relaid it in Brett Omega Charcoal with a neutral border. We are Brett registered installers.

Before: Old Paving and Standing Water

Old red block paving at a Rochester bungalow on the first day of the driveway replacement

The original driveway was red-brown block paving that had faded over the years. With nowhere for surface water to go, rain sat on the paving instead of draining away. The mini digger arrived on the first morning to start breaking it out.

Soakaways In, Walls Going Up

Driveway dug out to a new sub-base with brick boundary walls being built in Rochester

Two days in, the old paving was gone and the new walls were rising along the boundary. The two soakaways went in during the dig-out, giving the water from the new driveway somewhere to drain into the ground on site rather than pooling on the surface. A compacted sub-base was then built up over the whole area ready for the blocks.

Brett Omega Charcoal with a Neutral Border

Finished Brett Omega Charcoal herringbone driveway with neutral border at a Rochester bungalow

The main field is Brett Omega in Charcoal, laid in herringbone, which ties in with the dark timber gable over the front door. A neutral band runs inside the outer edge and steps in and out around each new pier rather than being cut short, so the border follows the walls all the way round.

Corner view of a Brett Omega Charcoal driveway framed by new brick walls in Rochester, Medway

New Brick Walls on a Corner Plot

New red brick boundary walls and piers around a block paved driveway on a Rochester corner plot

Being on a corner, the frontage is open to the road on two sides. The new walls and piers close it in along both sides, leaving an open entrance onto the road.

New brick boundary wall beside a Brett Omega Charcoal driveway, looking towards the road in Rochester

Down the Side of the Bungalow

Brett Omega Charcoal block paving running down the side of a Rochester bungalow with a neutral border

The paving carries on down the side of the bungalow between the house and a new wall, with the same neutral border keeping the narrow run looking deliberate rather than leftover.

Works Completed

  • Old block paving broken out — full frontage and side run excavated
  • Two new soakaways — installed to stop the driveway flooding in heavy rain
  • New brick walls and piers — enclosing the corner plot along both road frontages
  • Brett Omega Charcoal block paving — laid herringbone across the front and down the side
  • Neutral border — stepped around every pier and wall return

Driveways in Rochester and Across Medway

We work throughout Rochester and the rest of Medway, from Strood and Chatham to Gillingham, Rainham and Hoo. If your driveway floods or the old blocks have sunk, we can sort the drainage and relay it in one job. See our page on new driveways in Rochester and across Medway or our Brett block paving service, and get in touch to book a free survey and quote.