A few months ago we were asked to do a fantastic project in the Ecclesall area of Sheffield. A creative designer wanted us to build a feature wall using Gabion baskets.

This would not be any ordinary project; the concept was to use Gabion baskets to retain the tiered garden to create two usable garden spaces. Once finished the wall would be two and a half meters high and over six meters in length. To face the baskets, the client chose limestone from a quarry out in Derbyshire which would create a great effect once finished. The size and design of this wall meant that it was an imposing structure that really was more like a work of art than a normal dry stone wall, so it was essential that it was beautifully built.

If you’ve not come across Gabion baskets before, they are a great product to use when retaining land. They are mesh steel baskets that create a strong structure when packed with stone and are all tied together using wire and springs, it’s a very good alternative to building a traditional retaining wall but without the cost of using concrete and steel.

The project had a few difficulties such as being on the infamous Junction road which is a busy road without a driveway, we had to have the stone delivered in skips to keep it tidy and compact on the road. To get to the back of the garden where the wall was being built we had to go up a number of steps, we started to wheel barrow the stone by hand which proved to be laboursome. We then hired a power barrow which proved much more effective, as we could load more stone and move it around the back a lot more easily.

We completed the project in under 10 days and were thoroughly pleased with the outcome, in fact the overall look was brilliant! And most importantly the customer who had meticulously designed it, was over the moon.

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