Landscapers&GroundworksintheNewForest
Groundworks-led landscaping across the Forest and its edge towns, where free-draining gravel, grazing stock and a National Park boundary all change what a garden or driveway has to be built to handle.
- Fixed-price quotes, agreed before work starts
- Sub-bases, falls and drainage done in-house
- 2-year workmanship warranty
- 2 yearsWarranty on work
- Owner-ledOne team throughout
- In-houseBy our own team
- CSCS · SSSTS · NVQ 2Qualified team
Building On Forest Ground
The New Forest is not ordinary suburban ground and it does not behave like it. Much of it is free-draining gravel and sand over clay, which sounds ideal for drainage until you hit the clay and find the water has nowhere left to go — so a soakaway here is sized from a test, never from a standard figure. Boundaries are the other difference. Plots that back onto open forest or common land are up against ponies and cattle that graze it freely, and a standard garden fence is not a stock-proof one. On top of that, a job inside the National Park boundary can carry planning considerations the identical job a few miles outside it would not. We are based in Bournemouth, work the Forest and its edge towns regularly, and raise all of that at the site visit rather than halfway through the dig.
Four Groundworks & Landscaping
7 MacLean Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH11 8EJ
The Full Range, Across The New Forest
Everything below is done in-house, groundwork and finish, wherever in the Forest you are.
Driveways
Block Paving DrivewaysLaid on a sub-base compacted for ground that drains fast at the top and holds water lower down.
Tarmac & Asphalt DrivewaysSuits the long private accesses and shared lanes that come with Forest properties.
Concrete DrivewaysFor stable yards, outbuildings and the working parts of a smallholding rather than the front of the house.- Gravel DrivewaysThe most at-home finish out here, and the one that sits most easily with a Forest setting.
Driveway Repairs & ResurfacingLong accesses take a beating from heavy vehicles; the repair starts with why the base gave way.
Garden Landscaping
Full Garden TransformationsWhole-garden rebuilds with the levels, drainage and boundary all handled as one job.
Turfing & New LawnsGravelly Forest ground drains hard in summer, so a new lawn needs depth built under it first.
Artificial Grass Installers
Fencing & GatesThe one that matters most here: a boundary onto open forest has to be stock-proof against ponies and cattle, not just a garden fence.
Decking Installers
Retaining & Sleeper Walls
Groundworks Companies
Excavation & Site ClearancePlanned around tree cover and protected planting, which is a real constraint on a Forest plot.
Foundations & FootingsDug to the ground actually found, which on gravel over clay is rarely what the first spit suggests.
Concrete Bases & SlabsBases for stables, field shelters, garden rooms and outbuildings.
Muck Away & Spoil RemovalPriced with the distance to a tip in it, which on a rural plot is a real part of the cost.
Commercial Groundworks
Drainage Contractors
Percolation TestingWorth doing first out here, because gravel over clay drains very differently at depth than it does at the surface.
Soakaway InstallationSized from the test result rather than assumed from the topsoil.
Land & Surface Water DrainageFor long accesses and yards where run-off has to be taken somewhere deliberate.
15+
Years in groundworks and landscaping
35 miles
Working radius from our Bournemouth base
In-house
Groundwork and finish by the same team
Fixed price
Itemised and agreed before work starts
How A New Forest Job Runs
The same process on every job, start to finish.
Consultation & Site Visit
We come out, talk through what you want, and check the things a Forest plot adds: how plant gets down the access, where water goes at depth, and whether the boundary has stock on the other side of it.
Fixed-Price Quote
An itemised, fixed price before anything starts, covering the groundwork as well as the finish, so nothing gets added once we are on site.
Build & Finish
Dig-out, sub-base, falls and drainage first, built for what we actually found under the surface, then the finish goes on top.
Walk-Round & Aftercare
A walk-round at the end, then a check-in once it has settled and been through its first proper wet spell.
What Customers Say About Us
Reviews from customers across Bournemouth, Poole and the wider Dorset and Hampshire area we cover.
Grace Sibley
Jacc and his team did a full patio renovation for us inclusive of sorting out some significant drainage problems. Jacc and his team have been professional through out and provided a high quality service even through some significantly challenging weather. I cannot fault them at all. Jacc and Jordan went above and beyond for us and despite it being 37 degrees carried on grafting to get us a usable patio before our sons 1st birthday. The work was efficient, they kept the place tidy with waste removal being organised within 48 hours of it being produced I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Four Ground for your upcoming landscape/ground works project.
Asa Parker
I'm very happy with the work Jacc and this team have done. They removed the old driveway and previous concrete pads, before levelling and laying a new larger reinforced concrete slab and block paving driveway. Jacc was very helpful throughout.
Chris Lynch
We used Jacc and his team to lay the foundations and over site for a single story extension. After getting plenty of quotes he was very competitive and his enthusiasm and communication was exceptional. Our plan is to have Jacc back to complete our patio area and ground drainage - he's trustworthy, reliable and has a fantastic attitude - something that we've realised is really hard to come by in the building trade. Thanks so much Jacc and team!
A.G Reeks
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Friendly & Honest Excellent service from start to finish. The drainage work was explained clearly, priced fairly, and completed efficiently. The lads were polite, hardworking, and respectful of the property. It's refreshing to deal with a company you can trust. Would definitely use again.
Rachel
We are so pleased with all the work we have had done - our back garden was a total mess, but the guys completely transformed it with a brilliant new concrete area and some lovely planters. They even sorted out and tidied our front drive with a temporary fix, which has given the whole house a massive face-lift. The whole team were so friendly and down-to-earth. Big shout-out to Jacc as well, who was always around for a chat whenever we had any questions. Honestly couldn't recommend them enough if you need a landscaping company for gardens or driveways.
jeff sullivan
After being let down at the last minute by another landscaper, Jacc was recommended to me. I messaged and received a prompt reply. Jacc visited to give a quote and start date. He arrived when expected to start on a new patio, whilst he was working, I asked for a quote for new concrete fence posts and panels, again I was happy with the quote and it could be done at the same time, result... Its now all completed, I'm impressed with the new patio and fence, jacc was professional and takes pride in his work, his easy to get on with and very approachable. Highly recommended, and thanks again Jacc 👍
The Worries We Hear Most
Answered honestly, before you ask.
Will the ponies get through a new fence?
Not if it is built as a stock-proof boundary rather than a garden one. Where a plot backs onto forest or common land we build to keep grazing stock out, and say so in the quote.
Will the garden flood or the patio puddle?
Falls are set deliberately and drainage is designed in from the start, sized from an actual percolation test. Gravel over clay is exactly the ground that catches people out.
Will it look great for one winter then go uneven?
Everything is dug out to depth and built on a properly compacted sub-base. That layer is the whole reason a drive or patio stays level, not the surface on top of it.
New Forest Questions, Answered
What people usually ask before booking us in.
Do you cover the New Forest?
Yes. We are based in Bournemouth and work the Forest and its edge towns regularly, including Ringwood, Fordingbridge, New Milton and Highcliffe.
Do I need planning permission for a driveway or patio here?
It can be different inside the National Park boundary from an identical job outside it, and it depends on what you are doing, how much hard surface you are adding and where the water goes. Check with the New Forest National Park Authority before committing — we will flag at the site visit where we think it is worth asking the question.
Can you fit fencing that keeps New Forest ponies and cattle out?
Yes. A boundary onto open forest or common land needs to be stock-proof, which is a different build from a standard garden fence — different posts, different depths, different fixings.
The ground here drains well. Do I still need a soakaway tested?
Yes, and this is the area where it catches people out most. Forest ground is often free-draining gravel and sand sitting over clay, so it takes water quickly at the top and then stops. A test tells you what is happening at the depth the soakaway will actually sit at.
Our access is a long private lane. Is that a problem?
No, but it changes the plan and the price, so we look at it at the site visit. Getting plant and materials in, and spoil out, is a real part of the job on a rural plot and we would rather price it properly than discover it on day one.
Are you on Checkatrade and Google?
Yes. We are an approved Checkatrade member and hold Google Guaranteed status. Behind that are over 15 years in groundworks and landscaping and the trade cards to go with it: CSCS, Street Works, SSSTS and NVQ Level 2.
New Forest Towns We Cover
Pick the town closest to you for what the ground does there.
Ringwood
On the western edge of the Forest, on the Hampshire Avon.
Ringwood coverageFordingbridge
A riverside market town on the Forest’s north-western edge.
Fordingbridge coverageNew Milton
Between the Forest and the coast, on the southern side.
New Milton coverageHighcliffe
Coastal, just over the Dorset border from the Forest’s south-west corner.
Highcliffe coverageGet a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Four Groundworks & Landscaping on 07886 075828