Turf laid on new-build gardens across the North East
The North East gets the most detail in our area guides, from Tyneside and Wearside to County Durham, Teesside and Northumberland. Tell us about your new-build garden and get a free turfing quote.
- Ground
- Mostly glacial clay over the coalfield and limestone
- Weather
- Drier than the west, cold spring easterlies
- Best months
- Late April to June, September to October
- Towns covered
- Tyneside, Wearside, Durham, Teesside, Northumberland
Free quote
Free turfing quote: North East
Tell us your town and what the garden is like now.
New-build gardens across the North East
Between the Pennines and the North Sea, most North East gardens sit on boulder clay dropped by glaciers. Underneath is the old coalfield across much of Tyneside and Durham, magnesian limestone along the Durham coast and around Sunderland, and sandstone further north. For turf, it's the clay at the top that matters: it packs down hard under site traffic and holds water until it is opened up.
New housing has been added right across the region, from the planned towns such as Washington, Cramlington, Peterlee and Newton Aycliffe to the edges of Newcastle, Durham and the Tees towns. Many of those gardens are handed over as levelled subsoil, or with a quick layer of builders' turf that struggles on compacted clay.
Towns and cities
Pick your town in the North East
Wearside
Northumberland
How conditions change across the region
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Tyneside and Wearside
Clay ground, coastal breezes near the river mouths and the sea, and plenty of compact, rectangular plots on newer streets.
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County Durham
Hillier, with frosty valley mornings, the high ground around Consett and stony limestone soils towards the coast.
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Teesside
Flatter and one of the drier parts of the region, so new lawns lean on regular watering in late spring.
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Northumberland
From the flat clay around Cramlington and Blyth to the river terraces of the Tyne valley at Hexham.
When to lay turf
Spring takes its time here. Cold easterly winds off the sea can linger into May, so the most dependable months for new turf are usually late April to June and September into October, when the soil still holds the summer's warmth. Turf can go down at other times of year when the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged.
Trade and developers
Plots to turf for handover?
Housebuilders, site managers and landscapers can ask for plot turfing quotes too.
Questions about turfing in the North East
Do you cover the whole of the North East?
Yes. We quote for new-build gardens from Northumberland down to Teesside. Pick your town below or just fill in the form with your postcode.
Why does clay matter so much for a new lawn in the North East?
Boulder clay is under most gardens here. Site traffic leaves it dense and slow to drain, so rolls laid straight onto it struggle. Opening it up, levelling and adding topsoil where it's thin are what give the lawn a fair chance.
Is there a best time of year to turf in the North East?
Late April to June and September to October are usually the steadiest. Turf can go down in other months when the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged.