A site sloping steeply to a brook, with views over open countryside framed by ancient willows. A tempting proposition, but the new owners found the site unmanageable and an extension proved the catalyst for finding a long term solution, blurring the boundaries between garden and beyond.

All the ground work for the proposed terracing would need to be completed before the side extension could be built as the access would subsequently be restricted, so once a plan was in place, the construction team moved in to make a combination of gently descending steps and terraces, linking a much larger and more practical formal paved top terrace to the lower, now level lawn, by way of informal planting areas retained by oak sleepers. The banks of the stream were then planted with a mixture of wild flower plugs and native inspired perennials.