Most Hardway properties sit on low-lying waterside ground directly on Portsmouth Harbour, so Gravel Driveways here comes down to loose aggregate held by a stabiliser grid or edge restraint over a permeable membrane and sub-base. Hardway’s own driveways are shaped by narrow lanes and waterside frontages typical of this old naval corner of Gosport, and direct waterside exposure on Portsmouth Harbour along the old naval moorings. It is best suited to long approach drives and period properties where a hard-edged surface would look wrong, though without a genuine edge restraint the stone will migrate onto verges and lawns.
About Gravel Driveways
A properly built gravel driveway is loose aggregate laid over a permeable membrane and a compacted stone sub-base, usually held in place with a honeycomb stabiliser grid or a firm edge restraint so the stone doesn’t migrate, rut under tyres, or spread onto lawns and verges. Because water passes straight through the loose aggregate rather than running off the surface, gravel is naturally free-draining without needing a specialist permeable system, and it is straightforward to top up over time rather than replace outright. It suits long approach drives, rural and semi-rural settings, and period properties where a hard-edged sealed surface would look at odds with the house, though it needs a genuine edge restraint to stay tidy rather than simply being tipped and left.
Best suited to: long approach drives, rural and period properties, and anywhere a soft, traditional look is wanted
Less suited to: steep gradients without extra stabilisation, where loose stone will migrate downhill under normal driving
Ground & property in Hardway
Hardway sits directly on Portsmouth Harbour in this old naval corner of Gosport, where narrow lanes and waterside frontages run close to the historic naval moorings. The older maritime terraces here deal with genuine waterside exposure that the estate streets further inland on the peninsula simply don’t face.
Coastal / flood note: direct waterside exposure on Portsmouth Harbour along the old naval moorings