zoothorn

alas not.. but it gets max about 2 ft high & widens to 5 ft or so. Its usually 1ft wide. What I need here, is a "waterproof" retaining wall/ bank. Which points me back to gambions, as they do have this 'waterproof' aspect. The bit that's eluding me in principle is the flat prepped 'trench' of say D100mm into which the gambion sits. Concrete? surely the soil underneath can get washed away. Soil? Im not sure how again it might shift the gambions 'footings' by angry brook action. Compacted hardcore maybe? Then what's to stop the gambion wall falling over into brook, by the weight of the soil pulled down against it? (& cabin ontop too)

@JSHarris look more sturdy than ground screws, but the same idea which I sort of discounted, to start the thread/ idea afresh again. You see what I have, is a long thin area of garden. You can see the bugger of a slope looking back in pic3 (#1). In order to make use of this huge slope which extends (widthwise, across the narrow area of land I have) for majority of garden.. I need to flatten-widen it. So I put in some sleepers as a barrier on the apex of the curve. Easy. If I'm doing this sleeper-wall just ahead of my trickiest/ maximum slope/ minimum land width/ lowest end of my land.. I need something to fill it/ soil. So the best idea to get it from.. is this big slope area/ road scree & soil down at the tricky end (where my pink batons are). But I have a fair bit of soil left. And I have yet to think how to sit my cabin onto the narrow/ tricky end bit. So you see how the idea in principle of -extending onwards- the sleeper barrier lawn idea.. just in heavy-duty format (*this is what I'm yet to establish what exactly- the nub of the thread), for the cabin load to sit onto, by filling it with (the remaining/ likely most of) soil from pink baton slope area.

(Ive got some of these from sitting in the buff like this!) Do you mean "ground screws?"

@Onoff why not carve a flat shelf.. because I cannot use a digger. And bc if I carve a shelf into such a steep (its over 45*) & narrow area there will be nothing to stop it creeping down twds RHS/ the brook (I'd surely need a retaining wall anyway even doing this idea.. or erosion will just wash the poor bank soil gradually down into the stream RHS.. & a retaining wall LHS too?). And another reason: because some of the point of the retaining wall, was to 'fill it', from pulled soil from the LHS bank down, to eleviate this area too/ makes more space of this area: its alot of road spoil mixed with earth flung down & means this slope area intrudes across half of my property at this narrow end area. The idea of using a digger to flatten the base for some gambions tho.. seems like an idea. I am worried tho that even if such a base is well prepped, as its only a foot above the brook water.. & when it swells & becomes fairly vigorous as it does, then covering this base.. will it just wash it away? This is why I was hoping for a "structural landscaper" might see the thread & voice an opinion.

Hi JSHarris.. if it were you, with this tricky end of garden to level, what would you do? what method would you choose? Anyone else.. same Q. What would you do? Ive looked at gambion clips, but cannot get anything similar (bar this one which infuriatingly stops just when you need it to continue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD5BzXteIYs).. so cannot possibly know what sort of configuration, or size I'd need. There's one incredibly complex calculater clip.. but I haven't a clue what a is from b. @Onoff if he's out there.. your opinion on this would be really welcome.

Hi Declan- that looks splendid, but I won't need aesthetically good as it won't be seen down side of bank (in fact I entertain idea of most horrible looking.. so my sod n'bors have a wall of concrete to look out on.. is good). I am looking for most effective, & cost effective: even going OTT is good as I just cannot have the situation of the cabin creeping down on one corner even 1 inch.. so mitigating against this is absolute priority. So how would a series of these gabions work in my situation? I can't even visualise what a retaining wall of these might consist of/ how might I plan them with structure in mind? its this structural area, even say having chosen the gabion way, that I have not one iota of an idea of to proceed.

Ok that's good & I'll have a look. But you see I don't think I'm the person to choose, that this is the correct approach. That's the very purpose of the thread. I need help in order to make the decision from folks, ideally who have experience of making retaining walls. If anyone's done -any- sort of retaining wall, would they reply? a landscaper/ anyone? if anyone's done one using these gabions.. brilliant PLEASE PLEASE would you tell me all about it, & maybe voice your opinion on whether its a good thing to use, in my situation? thanks. zoot

Hi newhome, I had thought the actual construction of the gabion baskets would be do-able.. but what this clip doesn't tell me, is for what -purpose- it has been chosen/ what's it for? a fancy bird table? a footing for a monster truck museum?

I hadn't decided. It was one of a few ideas, I think, but as said nothing is 'clicking/ that's it!'. I want to go back a step, ask as many opinions as possible again with a fresh approach- ideally to see if there's either a "structural landscaper" type person on here who can help.. or if not, a consensus of opinion on what kind of retaining wall. What I did have top of list, was "ground screws". But thinking more, its far from an easy proposition because of such a large discrepency of slope.. & nature of the soil is poor/ not very solid. Also it doesn't make use of this slope area, which I want to pull down into the wall void to create the ground needed to level. If you look at pic3 (reverse) I'm thinking of putting in a line of retaining barriers, below the LHS crest of my slope all way along (right up to that horrible n'bors seating area ~ approx 10m long x 1m high) in order to level/ widen out this nightmare garden slope topography. But I don't need anything HD to do this retaining looong barrier: posts whacked in + french oak beams can be used here. The retaining wall for the cabin area/ the lower 1/4 of garden, the area in Q here, needs -much- more solidity than oak beams against posts: including more height (bc its stemming from right down near brook, the land just dips down here) involved & alot more earth pulled down from the slope into it. So I need a strong retaining wall plan. I'll get my builder to do it, in order to make SURE its properly made. Then the easy bit is getting in a digger (bloke up lane's got one.. so I wag notes in front of his nose) to pull the baton area soil down into/ against the new barrier.. or even I shovel by hand.

Hi Russell. Would I be right these are the wire rectangular things filled with big stones? its a suggestion that's not yet been given, & I do see them around (so wondered why not suggested). Ok Ive no idea on them, what they are for exactly. Could you expand?

Hi chaps, buying a 20+ year neglected stone cottage = a good few threads! some coinciding (whist I wait on gate quotes etc). I have a tricky sloped garden end. I want to level (for a log cabin) by putting in a retaining wall/ barrier RHS.. & pulling soil across to fill from LHS. Its an extremely important job to get the right plan & I've entertained many ideas (a prior thread too), builders out.. but something nags structure-wise of the retaining wall. So I'd like to refresh: perhaps some new ideas, maybe from a "structural landscaper".. would anyone best fit that bill on here? Its a narrow end area, & dips to a brook RHS. Brook swells quite significantly. Pink batons show the slope. The brook in pic1 is far RHS. I want the wall up, from approx where farthest Right baton's pointing down to. (Pic3 reverse view).. Thanks- zoot schmootzer

Thanks for link Onoff.. I think I'm ok with my 6" long jobs.. my stump's only 2" high off ground, tho do need to get down further. It'll have to do. Anyway this job's minor & down the list at the moment- could be done later once gates on. If I don't get a quote from jacksons tmrw I'm going elsewhere, if they delay just giving me a simple quote for 2x gates, they could do in 10mins, to me for most of a week.. I'm not impressed.

Auger bit.. erm.. I have flat bits I could drill into it like Marsh Rat's eg (is that an auger bit?). stumps only 2" high thankfully, & ~14" diameter: it was cut seriously low with a chainsaw so much its blade fkd up.. a mate did it/ I had to buy him a new chain.

£15? bllx to that. I may as well throw it in the river then. seriously anyone reckon it might be worth £50? be great if so. -50 from my whopping jackson's quote Im expecting.. when they can be arsed.

Is a 12 ft (x 45" H) galvanised gate in good condition worth anything? its got 7 bars across & 2x diagonal welded cross braces, hinge things one end & a latch thing t'other.

@newhome love the dogspoon! looks like a whippet jack russell cross. but you see how slender they are, just tip itself over & slip thru gaps the sly assh*les.

Yes good plan Peter.. that should be doable. I guess the prep work to stop gate 'snagging' can actually be done once gates on as easily too. Ok just waiting on this quote.. @Onoff nice sketch/ missed your sketches! ok understood. My concern would be the added weight, considering its a loooong 13' gate, onto the 2 'hinges' > onto the 1 post. Ive no idea how to guage what sort of additional kg Id be looking at: the gate's not exactly light as it is. A good one to mull on this. Wilbur/ whippets are sneaky buggers, they'll go sideways thru a std gate gap.. or leap over a 1m gate. Ive got sheep nearby, p/u trucks with dogs, lambs etc.. all make wilbur go apesh*t: a huAge chickenwhippet wire prep job needed before his arrival. Thanks chaps- zoot schmoot.

Just going back a step, whilst waiting on Jacksons quote.. I do have a full width driveway 'farm type' galvanised gate, perched aside long since rotten posts. Like red octobers LHS one I think. Its it good nick & Im wondering whether I could, in fact re-use it: IE the cheapo option. Can you remind me someone said something about 'cladding' these? I guess they can be opened in & outwards?

Marsh Rat rocks. I love his Alabama (I think) accent. I also like this comment underneath.. Ryan Evans 1 day ago This method might be slightly faster than 600 grit sandpaper. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hehe! I might give it a try. anything to piss my n'bors off is worth a go.

Aha I hadn't thought of using explosives. Oh please.. 6.15pm on a warm ev, when my assh*le n'bors sit eating overlooking my whole back gdn .. BANG!! maybe [rip] see off one of the fkn cats too.

I'll not be using a digger.. I've no idea how to use one. Wish I did as in theory I could then dig out my footings for my workshop.. but terrified I'd whack the bucket at my old house side. I was thinking chop it with spades, take from oneside build up t'other. Can't I just whack gravel on for a mini drive area maybe some weed sheet 1st? surely going down 1 ft is a bit excessive, just for my 1.5 car area. I don't want a pristine perfect drive, that'll not be in keeping.. but should be pretty good mind you. One thing I do have middle of drive is a big fir tree stump dia approx 16", its cut right down to ground level but still protrudes, to drive over a hump. I was wondering leave it there & just build up drive around it.. a zoot "feature" if it appears through-? (I have a full size upside down bath in my hedge too, stuck for eternity.. another "feature").

Ah ok.. I only spotted the (obvious) slope, Id just have gone at it hammer & tongs unless Id spotted this. So is it now not such a bad idea to do the drive/gravel job, after prepping the gate areas level I wonder.. or still do this last?

So maybe I can creosote the low 1/3rd of my posts as a cheaper option instead?

Just seen my 1st problem: the road onto which my drive area joins onto.. is a slope L to R. So gates of 12' (6ft doubles, 50/50 now) will have a 'step' of approx 10" looking out from L to R. I assume I need the gates to hand spot-on level?

Ah ok well that's affordable then- I will have a good few posts to do, for the arrival of Wilbur, a whippet (not that Ive chosen one yet.. just the name) whose down the list of things 'to get/ do'. IE 2 cabins, gates, driveway gravel.. alot of posting prep as a logistically sod of a gdn to whippet-proof.