How to lay a gravel garden path

Video by Wickes. This guide is based on "How to lay a path with Wickes", which covers gravel, slab, and block-paving path construction in a single practical run-through. The gravel section in particular is useful for understanding how the different layers work together before you start digging.

1. Plan the route and width of the path

Before you lift a spade, think about where the path actually needs to go. A path that cuts corners — say, a diagonal across the lawn to the shed — will get used. One that insists on following a neat straight line along the fence often gets ignored in favour of the muddy shortcut through the border.

Aim for a minimum width of 900 mm so two people can pass comfortably, or so you can push a wheelbarrow without clipping the edging. Use garden canes and string to mark the edges out, and then stand back and look at it from an upstairs window if you can. Curves work well in gravel paths and are easy to achieve with a length of garden hose as a guide line.

2. Mark out and excavate

Before you dig, check for any underground pipes or cables if the path runs near the house or crosses a service route. A cable avoidance tool (CAT scanner) can be hired for a day from most tool hire places — it is worth doing, particularly in older East Kent properties where pipe runs are not always where you might expect them.

Once you are happy the ground is clear, excavate to a depth of about 100 mm for a gravel path. That gives you room for a hardcore or MOT sub-base layer plus the gravel itself. Strip the turf off with a spade first, then use a mattock or a garden fork to break up any compacted ground underneath. Pile the spoil to one side — you will need somewhere to take it away or use it to raise a bed elsewhere.

3. Set the edging boards

Edging is what keeps a gravel path a path rather than just a loose pile of stones that gradually spreads across the lawn. Pressure-treated timber edging boards, concrete kerbing, or flexible steel edging all work well. Timber boards are the most common choice for a domestic garden — they are quick to fix, cheap, and look natural.

Drive in treated timber pegs at no more than 1.2 m intervals, then fix the boards to the pegs with external grade screws. The top of the edging should sit at or just above finished ground level so the gravel is contained but surface water can drain off the sides. Check the boards are level as you go — a spirit level on a straight piece of timber works fine for this.

4. Lay the sub-base and compact it

This is the step most DIYers skip, and it is the reason so many gravel paths look terrible after a winter. A 50 mm layer of MOT Type 1 hardcore gives you a stable base that will not shift when you walk on it. Tip it in, spread it roughly level with a rake, and then compact it down with a hand tamper or, for longer paths, a hired plate compactor.

It depends on your soil type how critical this layer is. On the sandy, free-draining ground you find in parts of Sandwich and around the Deal coastline, you can sometimes get away with a well-compacted layer of sharp sand instead. On heavier clay soils, do not skip the hardcore — the ground moves too much in wet winters.

5. Lay the weed membrane

Roll out a good-quality woven landscape fabric over the compacted sub-base. Woven membrane lets water drain through but blocks light from below, so weeds cannot get established. The cheap non-woven stuff breaks down after a couple of years and ends up mixed into the gravel — it is a false economy.

Overlap joins by at least 150 mm and tuck the edges under the edging boards or up behind them. Pin the membrane down with landscape staples before adding any gravel, otherwise it rides up as you tip the stones in. A few minutes with the staple gun saves a lot of frustration later.

6. Add the gravel and rake level

10 mm pea gravel or 20 mm angular gravel both work well for garden paths. Pea gravel is softer underfoot and looks neat; angular gravel compacts down a little more firmly underfoot and stays put better on any slight slope. Either way, aim for a depth of about 40 to 50 mm — enough to walk on comfortably without the membrane showing through, but not so deep that you are sinking into it with every step.

Rake the gravel level and then rake a slight camber from the centre outward if the path is wide — this helps any heavy rain shed off the edges rather than pooling in the middle. Top the gravel up after the first winter once it has settled and compacted under foot traffic. Mind you, if you have cats in the neighbourhood, be aware that fine pea gravel is sometimes used as an outdoor litter tray. Slightly coarser angular stone tends to put them off.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the path is longer than about ten metres and you would rather not spend a weekend digging, if the ground is particularly compacted or has tree roots running through it, or if you want the edging mitre-cut neatly at curves and junctions. Installing a gravel path alongside a garden border or new lawn area also makes a good combined project — it is easier to do both at once than come back to it later.