The Cotswold Paving and Landscaping team frequently speak with homeowners who have purchased a property in dire need of a driveway refresh, want to makeover the exterior of their homes ready to sell, or require something more aesthetic and welcoming than a concrete drive.
For many, the vast number of potential driveway materials, designs, colours and patterns can make it almost impossible to make a clear decision while balancing cost, installation timings, and finding the best driveway that will look perfect with their brickwork, render or cladding.
Our advice is to consider the location and style of your Swindon home and speak with an experienced landscaping and driveways team. We can share ideas, provide examples of driveways installed for clients with a similar property type, and recommend locally sourced materials that will complement your curb appeal and update the look of your house.
Stone, Brickwork and Property Styles in Swindon That May Influence Driveway Design Choices
As in every region we serve, a predominant number of homes are built from local brick or stone. In Swindon, most terraced properties date back to Victorian times, with most constructed from dark grey Kimmeridge Clay—a material of choice—or stonework for older homes.
While we’ve seen a huge increase in contemporary new builds, commonly with clean white rendered exteriors, older homes in central Swindon date as far back as the Industrial Revolution, when thousands of properties were built to accommodate the people heading to the town.
There are several ‘typical’ issues with Victorian homes in Swindon. Terraced homes usually have fairly compact front gardens, and in areas with permit-only or limited street parking, there is huge demand to convert these into practical, attractive driveways, which can add as much as 5% or 10% to your property value.
Considering the colour and age of your home is important before we make a start on designing your driveway. A sleek, uniform colour might complement a red brick exterior, whereas natural stone might look pale and washed out against a white façade.
Let’s run through a few common property types and share some of our favourite driveway materials and finishes.
Designing a Functional Driveway for a Victorian Terraced Home in Swindon
Professional landscaping services often centre around the aesthetic of your property’s exterior, which applies particularly to Victorian homes with elegant brick finishes, gable roofs and bay windows. For many, an option like block paving is the perfect choice, with several benefits:
- Block paving comes in countless finishes and colours that you can choose to complement the hues and texture of your cladding or brickwork.
- This type of drive is equally durable, low-maintenance, and visually appealing. It creates a smooth paved area for parking that is tailored to your preferences and tastes.
- Light and grey-toned paving works incredibly well with traditional clay bricks, or you could opt for a pop of natural colour to offset borders, flowerbeds and other features you may have within your front garden.
Clay pavers can also work well for red brick period homes, with a shade contrasting with the brickwork, as well as solutions like sandstone paving, premium slate and other materials. All avoid deeper red or brown tones that tend to look a little understated next to red brickwork.
Picking Driveway Colours and Textures for Modern New Builds
Most new build projects in Swindon feature concrete or tarmac driveway finishes, primarily because these are widely available, low-cost, and easy-to-install options. It may be entirely up to you what finishes you prefer, but if you want your Swindon home to stand out, we can happily provide some recommendations.
Our landscaping teams have years of experience consulting with new homeowners, especially where the turf, planting and hard landscaping included within a recently finished new build can feel underwhelming or be identical across all properties in the estate.
It’s also vital to consider the drainage systems in place, ensuring any paving you install won’t collect surface water or cause a freshly laid lawn to become waterlogged and muddy.
In terms of driveway design, modern homes often look best with deeper grey paving stones or richer stone shades that are sophisticated while fitting in nicely with a contemporary architectural style.
Adding Shade and Tone for a Rural Swindon Driveway
Like most towns, Swindon has expanded rapidly in recent years, and homeowners often prioritise the semi-rural lifestyle and peace and quiet of homes in surrounding areas, including villages like Shrivenham, Lechlade, and Cricklade, which are still within proximity of the town.
Most homes in these desirable postcodes have traditional stone or white rendered finishes, which means a large proportion of homeowners look at classic options for their new driveway, such as:
- Gravel driveways, which can require more in the way of upkeep, but look refined and have a satisfying ‘crunch’ under the tyres, which many people love.
- Natural stone paving to coordinate driveways, patios and pathways, using consistent colours in materials like paving slabs and cobblestone for a premium feel.
- Darker shades to offset the crisp white of the property’s exterior, keeping a monochrome colour palette that ensures planting and flowers pop and create visual interest.
One of the advantages of natural stone paving is that you can be a little more creative with your outside space without detracting from the character of your home.
Customers might select accent colours within their brickwork or window frames to match their driveway or use a spectrum of shades in the same colour family to ensure the outside of the property looks well-designed and coordinated.
Tailored Advice for Homeowners on Designing Driveways in Swindon
We know that having a beautiful driveway significantly impacts the curb appeal and appearance of our clients’ homes. While there are many options, the Cotswold Paving and Landscaping team is committed to high-quality workmanship and the exceptional service we are known for.
The ideas and pointers in this guide may help crystallise your decision-making or highlight some different materials or finishes than you might have thought of, but you are always welcome to get in touch to arrange a free quote or access expert advice on the best options for your property.