A natural limestone sett terrace laid in herringbone with a soldier course border — hand-cut around existing oak french doors and swept into a curve to meet the original flagstone patio.
Setts are unforgiving. Every one is a natural riven block with its own size and face, so the only way to get a pattern this tight is to gauge as you go, keep the joints running true and cut each closer by hand rather than lifting the whole bay to fit.
This terrace is laid in a full herringbone field with a soldier course border framing it and a second run of setts forming a sweeping curve where the new paving meets the existing weathered flagstones.
The stone was blended off several packs as it went down so the greys, buffs and darker blue blocks are spread evenly across the area rather than banding, then jointed in a dark brush-in compound that lets the pattern read.
The main field is a 45-degree herringbone, set out from a centre line so the pattern lands symmetrically and the cuts fall at the edges where the border can absorb them.
A soldier course runs around the perimeter to lock the field in and give the terrace a clean finished edge — the same trick a good bricklayer uses on a wall, applied flat.
Where the paving meets the existing oak french doors we dropped the level to give a clean threshold, cut a mitred border into the corner and worked the herringbone back off it so nothing looks forced.
Against the original flagstones the joint is closed neatly — new stone to old, no infill strip, no mortar bodge.
The far edge sweeps in a long curve to meet the brick steps and the older patio. The border setts are tapered individually so the joints radiate evenly through the bend instead of opening up on the outside of the arc.
Finished level with the existing paving and laid to falls away from the house, so it drains properly and the family can use it straight off.
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Herringbone field, gauged as it goes, bordered all round.
"Natural lime stone paving."
