Rough Rew sits on the edge of Dorking, and it happens to be where Parklane Landscaping is based. Dorking itself sits in the valley of the Pipp Brook, squeezed between the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge, with Box Hill on one side and Leith Hill on the other. Gardens built into that kind of landscape rarely stay level, and where a garden changes level, brickwork in Dorking tends to be what makes the space usable again.
Working from Dorking rather than driving in from elsewhere changes how a job gets done. Dan and the team can reach a site within the hour, see the actual ground rather than guess from a photograph, and call back afterwards without making it a special trip. Parklane Landscaping has been building brick and block into Surrey gardens for years, and Dorking is where much of that work started.
Dorking’s mix of older cottages near the town centre and larger homes on the surrounding roads means brickwork requests vary a lot. On a sloped plot, the usual job is a retaining wall: something that holds back soil, drains properly, and creates a flat, usable terrace rather than an awkward bank to plant or mow. On a flatter plot, it is more often a boundary wall, replacing a fence that has rotted one too many times, or steps and raised beds tying a patio together with the rest of the garden.
Every wall starts the same way. Proper foundations go in first. Drainage is built in behind any retaining structure, not added afterwards if a problem shows up. Coping stones finish the top course so frost and rain do not get into the brickwork over winter. None of this is visible in the finished photograph, but it is the difference between a wall that lasts decades and one that needs redoing in five years.
In September 2025, we removed an old, failing sleeper wall for a client in Dorking and replaced it with a proper brick retaining wall, rebuilding the brickface to correspond to the original curve. The client’s own words afterwards: “A perfect replacement and just what we asked for.”
Earlier in the same year, another Dorking project involved entirely digging out a raised front garden, building new retaining walls, and laying a new resin driveway with fresh access steps. As the client put it once the work was done: “We can’t believe how much space has been created by doing the works and we are so pleased.”
Reviews from other Dorking clients tell a similar story. One homeowner had Parklane build two sun terraces, one raised and finished in rendered blockwork, the other at ground level, with screening added afterwards for privacy. Another had a full garden redesign completed in stages, finishing with a new driveway. The common thread is a team that turns up locally, plans properly, and gets asked back.
Dorking has a real mix of period cottages, Victorian terraces and newer builds, so matching brick to a house matters more here than in a town with one dominant style. We start by looking at what is already on the property and source a close match where that is the right call, working with reclaimed, traditional and modern facing bricks depending on the job. Bricks used in retaining walls or anywhere they will sit against soil need to be frost-resistant, which rules out some of the prettier reclaimed options for that particular use.
Most garden brickwork in Dorking does not need planning permission. Under permitted development rules, a new or altered wall is usually fine without consent if it stays under one metre next to a road, or under two metres elsewhere on the property. Where a Dorking property is listed or falls within a conservation area, the rules tighten, and permission may be required even to take down an old wall. We check this as a standard part of the site visit, and the Planning Portal’s guide to fences, gates and garden walls covers the current thresholds if you want to check anything yourself in advance.
Being based here means most new enquiries in Dorking come through word of mouth, from a neighbour’s finished wall or a friend’s new terrace rather than a search result alone. Every quote follows a proper site visit, not a guess from photos, and the team you meet on that visit is usually the one that turns up to do the work.
A well presented and correctly installed patio can be an outdoor space for all the family to use, creating a lovely entertaining space.
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We chose Parklane following a recommendation and during the initial consultation, we stressed that we needed the work completed by a set date due to a very important 40th Birthday party we had planned, no pressure!!! The owner, Dan was honest with us and promised he would complete the job on time but this would require them completing the work in stages which we were happy with and also completely understood due to us leaving the request to the last minute, top tip as they are a busy company, consult with them early as they are in demand!!! As promised the work was completed on time and the finished product is amazing. The team that completed the work were friendly, neat and professional. I even caught one of them washing the front of the house after mixing some mortar which was not expected and shows their pride. The end product rendered us speechless, we were so pleased with the result and the reactions from our party guests were as expected, everyone wanted Parklanes number… I would fully recommend Parklane and we are completely satisfied with their work.
